Iridescent
by Clogallie
Summary: "Life was a lot simpler before the wrong people started confessing to each other." And thus begins Kairi's junior year of high school, where relationships are complicated, tensions are at an all-time high, and Kairi realizes maybe the one constant in her life is the one person she cannot stand.
1. Chapter 1

**Iridescent**

* * *

 **Chapter ONE**

Goals for Junior Year by: Kairi O'Hara - _cause yeah this year is gonna be amazing_

1\. Buy formal dresses at least 2 weeks in advance to avoid last year's rental dress debacle (read: never trust Mom's tastes)  
2\. Avoid the cafeteria's chicken nuggets - for many reasons  
3\. Own the school play with Naminé  
4\. Study. For real. #gradesmatter  
5\. Make up with Selphie...okay, maybe that's too ambitious. Talk to her...about the weather. Or anything. OH, try shoes.  
6\. On that note, also talk to Tidus...eventually  
7\. Beat personal mile time - _no pain no gain  
_ 8\. Prove to Sora that Riku and I are still friends  
9\. Find a guy for Naminé, at least for the Winter Ball - she deserves someone!

 **& 10\. Do not let last year's bonfire incident happen again** _\- solution: find a date?_

* * *

"...huh?"

I stare at Tidus, wondering what's going on underneath that mop-like mess he calls his hair. Considering we haven't hung out all summer, I don't expect him waiting by my car after school, hoping to catch a ride home. Willing to spend time in an enclosed space with me.

"My car's getting fixed and I probably won't get it back till next week," he says succinctly.

I count the words: 14, the longest sentence he's said to me since May. I probably gawk too long, 'cause Tidus casts me a long, steady look, as if he's questioning my mental capacity.

I should probably do better than a monosyllabic response.

"Sure," I say, unlocking my car and tossing my bag in the back seat. _What happened to polysyllabic?_ I chide myself.

After getting in and adjusting the seat, I realize Tidus has tuned into a sports broadcasting station. I quickly swap to CD to listen to familiar country ballads. Hey - my car, my rules.

Tidus doesn't seem to get that. He switches back to radio, and I have to listen to some old guy talk about why the last play was screwed up.

"Stop it," I say, swapping back to CD.

"You stop it," he returns, returning to the stupid broadcast. When I reach towards the buttons once more, he swats my hands away.

"Switch back to CD."

"Don't tell me what to do."

Yeah, our default interaction usually involves some sort of bickering. I've known Tidus for way too long - like, literally since Day 1. He's probably the most dense, bigheaded cousin I could have. Just cause he's 11 months older than I am doesn't mean he deserves anything.

Plus mentally, he's like 5.

"You owe me," I say without really thinking.

After a pause, Tidus speaks up. "Kairi…" he begins, followed by a sharp inhale.

I recognize the way his face scrunches up: he's trying to figure out how to phrase some very delicate words. You should know that Tidus doesn't do tact. If he's even putting an ounce of thought into what he wants to say, it must be _really_ serious.

A sinking feeling in my stomach tells me I don't want to know what he's trying to say. So I beat him to the chase.

"Let's go," I announce.

Dear god, my voice cracking in the middle had better be my imagination.

Either way, Tidus doesn't respond besides settling into his seat. We leave the audio alone as I pull out of the parking lot.

...

The quiet reminds me why I was arguing so fervently about playing my favorite CD. Nervously, I tap a finger on the steering wheel.

In hindsight, that was the perfect chance for us to Talk. When else am I gonna get privacy with Tidus, where both of us are effectively cornered with nowhere to run? But when I sneak a peek at him, his attention's absorbed by his phone. And at this point, my mind can turn anything into an excuse not to talk to Tidus. So: _he's on his phone he obviously doesn't want to talk (much less Talk)_ becomes the perfect reason to stay quiet.

I'm minorly surprised when Tidus breaks the silence. With, of all things:

"Can we get ice cream?"

...had I been imagining our silent treatments? I turn over to shoot him an incredulous look, but he's still looking down at his phone. When I huff audibly, he finally lifts his head, staring at me with as much dignity an 18-year-old who's just asked for ice cream can.

Which isn't much. But I'm in the mood for something sweet, so I nod and head back to the ice cream parlor we'd just passed.

The store's cheery ambience and sickeningly sweet aroma puts Tidus in a marginally better mood. At least judging by the familiar tune he hums under his breath. I get in line behind him, but he orders 2 single-scoops: one mint chocolate, one cookie dough. Cookie dough's _my_ go-to.

I forego my own order and follow Tidus to the waiting area. The guy behind the counter quickly hands out the 2 cones. Tidus takes the mint chocolate, and after a moment's pause, I grab the cookie dough.

Wow. Way to guilt trip me with the nice older cousin card.

"Thanks," I mumble to the server. It does not escape me that I'll thank a stranger for food but not Tidus for paying. Anyways, we decide to take a seat and savor our creamy treats in content silence.

Or at least I'm enjoying myself. When I glance up, I notice Tidus staring at me. He quickly averts his gaze, but when I look at him again, he's staring once more. I try to think of the last time Tidus was 'nice to me.'

It was right before he told me my parents couldn't make my championship soccer game in 8th grade.

I then recall my gut feeling from earlier. Tidus' efforts to be tactful have always been rather transparent. It then dawns upon me that he's getting comfortable to...talk.

No, to Talk.

Shit. Shit shit _shit_.

He can't - I'm not ready to Talk.

Just as I'm coming up with the lamest excuse ever to GTFO ("Mom needs me to water the flowers...yeah, like _now_ ), my savior enters - though he's the last person I'd assign that role.

Cause seriously. What has the world come to if I'm calling _Sora_ my savior?

"Hey, what are the chances?" his whimsical voice greets us from the entrance of the store. His wayward appearance distracts the both of us, and we turn towards the familiar brown-haired boy. Judging by his shitty sneakers and sweaty t-shirt, I assume he'd just been playing soccer. Plus, his arrogant tone and cocky smirk are dead giveaways - there's only one thing that makes his ego swell so much.

"Hikari," Tidus greets with a simple nod that Sora returns. Their civil interactions in public always surprise me, 'cause I'm used to seeing them arguing on the field. Not only are they both pretty stubborn, their different positions on the team lead to differing viewpoints on strategy. Plus, they kinda just don't like each other.

I then realize I should probably say hi as well.

"Sora," I greet with as much hospitality I can muster. Which isn't much. Let's just say we aren't the best of friends...for many reasons.

"Kairi. You sound so excited to see me."

Oh, Sora. Please don't use sarcasm ever again. "Cause, Sora, you smell like Tarzan."

"Hey!" he protests. "Says the one with ears bigger than Dumbo's!"

"Hey! Says the one with wider eyes than Minnie!"

"Hey - hey, _hey!_ " Tidus' voice drowns out both of ours. "What does it say about you guys that you insult each other using Disney characters?"

...damn, he has a point. Mental note to upgrade to more age-appropriate comebacks.

"She started it," Sora murmurs.

"Hey! Obviously you did!"

" _Guys!_ "

...Tidus really has that I'm-older-than-you-so-shut-up card going for him now. Sora and I both simmer down.

"...what're you doing here?" Tidus asks Sora.

"Yeah, what are you doing here?" I can't help chiming in. Tidus shoots me a look but I just smile sheepishly and he turns back to the target in question.

Sora narrows his eyes. "Hey, it's a free country. And why do you think people come to ice cream stores?"

"...alright," Tidus concedes. So quickly? And to Sora? When did Tidus get so soft? He pulls out his phone, which I notice is vibrating. After a brief hesitation, he excuses himself to pick up what seems like an urgent call.

Sora shoots me a look I can't decipher so I stare back. He eventually turns away, sidestepping towards the cashier. Whatever. I'm happy with me and my ice cream.

Did I mention ice cream ranks somewhere in my top 5 favorite desserts? Yessiree. The sweet, creamy taste and ultra soft texture are just _bomb_. Ice cream gives me joy and temporarily makes me blissfully unaware of my surroundings.

"Hey - "

"AHH!"

I try very hard to ignore the stares in my direction. And discreetly wipe off the ice cream on my nose. Which just gets my fingers dirty. Sora laughing on the side doesn't help.

"You're so slow!" he jeers. "And way too easy to spook. I wasn't even trying!"

I - did he just insult my intelligence? And - this is Sora, of all people. I have to strategize now: how to _obliterate Sora's existence from this world_ without crushing the ice cream cone in my hands.

It's really not that easy.

"Sora… _shut up_."

To my dismay, my sternest tone doesn't intimidate him at all.

"Why do I have to listen to you?"

I resist the urge to growl like a monster. It's like his secret talent or something: Sora Hikari always has a way to get on my nerves. Without fail, he succeeds every time. "I didn't say that. Don't put words in my mouth."

"I didn't say you said that. Don't put words in _my_ mouth," he counters.

"Look at you being so witty. Did you make up a stupid pun to pass the English placement test?"

Sora pauses. Then, a sickening, wide grin stretches across his face. "You're _still_ hung up on that? Really, Kairi, jealousy's not a good look - "

"It's all your fault!" I exclaim. "You kept distracting me during the timed essay!" His placement in Honors English must be a fluke. An administrative error. Like, his name's supposed to be mine, or something.

Cause how is lazy ass Sora _smarter_ than me?

"How did I distract you?" Sora asks.

"You were staring at me. The. Entire. Time!" I pause, briefly considering my words. "Why were you staring at me? What, were you checking me out?"

…

A long stretch of absolute silence, if you disregard the background white noise in the store.

Then, Sora throws his head back and laughs. I get mad, quite predictably at this point - everything about Sora Hikari makes me mad. If looks could kill, he'd be dead a thousand times over by now. Unfortunately, he's immune to my patented Death Glares (they work like magic on Tidus and my brother).

Or maybe he's just dumb and clueless, 'cause he's got half the store staring.

Finally, he catches his breath to speak. "God, Kairi, you're like the most conceited person I know."

" _What_? Are you sure you're not talking about yourself?"

"I wasn't even looking at you!" Sora explains. "I was looking at Naminé. She was right next to you."

I perk up at the mention of my one and only bestie. "So you were checking _her_ out?"

"Seriously, Kairi." Sora gives me a look, and for a moment - a _brief_ , transient moment - I feel like a child being scolded by an adult. The moment passes, and all I feel is condescension coming off Sora in waves. "She kept clicking her pen, and it was bothering me. Why would I check out someone during a test? I don't know about you, but I've got my priorities straight…"

"I have my priorities straight!"

"But you didn't get in Honors English."

"I - I - " Dammit, damn him, damn everything about this situation! When did I start losing arguments to Sora Hikari? "This is all your fault anyways!"

"My fault? I didn't do anything - "

" _SERIOUSLY, YOU GUYS_!"

Huh. I've never noticed, but Tidus is pretty good at this whole authority-figure thing. I almost feel a little guilty under his scrutinizing glare. After we quiet down, I realize that my little fight with Sora has attracted the attention of everyone in the store. I gulp nervously, and Sora hesitantly rests his hands by his sides. We try to assume...unassuming positions, but it's hard to remove the spotlight from us.

"I turn away for 5 minutes and you're fighting, again?" Tidus exclaims. "I can't believe you're both so immature!"

"Who're you to call us immature?" Sora mutters.

I don't like him attacking family, so I jab him in the ribs with my elbow. He winces, hastily raising a hand to prevent further attacks.

"STOP IT!" Tidus bellows again, at which we stop all movement. "Seriously, I can't believe I - you know, I just wanted to - you know what, never mind. Kairi, let's go. Hikari, I'll see you."

Tidus exits the store and I follow suit. But not after shooting Sora a look. I know he wants to get the last word in, but I run off before he has the chance. Ha, in his face!

I get in the car with Tidus in silence. If anything, he's in a worse mood than pre-ice cream run. I even turn on the sports station for him, but the frown still doesn't leave his face.

Though I think I've won the battle, it feels like I'm losing the war.

* * *

I drop Tidus off and offer him a ride tomorrow morning, cause I'm a good person like that. After a long pause, he agrees. Or grunts, which I interpret as 'yes please but I don't want to seem too eager.' I don't count on any mishaps dropping Tidus off, but a loud shriek proves me wrong.

"TIDUS!"

I automatically freeze. I'd recognize that voice anywhere - I've known her almost half my life - but since I've been dodging her the past few months...it's been awhile since I've heard her in person. Instinctively, I press myself into the car seat, trying to make myself small and unnoticeable.

It then occurs to me that Tidus set this whole thing up. Cause no way she just happens to pass by the one time I give Tidus a ride home. But the shock on his face suggests he's just as surprised to see her - though I don't know why, considering she's his girlfriend.

"H - hey, Selphie…" Tidus begins awkwardly. His eyes meet mine briefly, but I quickly turn my attention to the radio. "Selphie, what're you doing here?" He steps out the car without closing the door behind him. Jerk.

"Why are you avoiding me?" Selphie asks.

I almost laugh out aloud. I really do miss Selphie's refreshing honesty.

"Wha - no, I - I'm not avoiding you," Tidus says defensively.

"Well, then why would you catch a ride with someone else but not me? Is something wrong? You can talk to me. Oh, hi Kairi."

Her offhand greeting comes out so naturally, especially considering how we left things.

Yeah, I might've blown a top - or a few - when I found out my cousin and oldest friend since elementary school are dating. I just - I didn't - _how could they_? I've already called Tidus out on screwing up my friendship with Selphie just so they can fool around. In all subsequent conversations we've had post-BB (short for Big Betrayal, as I've dubbed it), we try to ignore that issue and conduct small talk only for as long as necessary.

With Selphie, the last thing she told me was, ' _Let me know when you pull your head out of your ass. Then we can talk!'_

She wants to talk about _my_ ass? Well, what about hers? What about the fact that she chose my cousin over me? How do I know that our friendship was real and she wasn't just using me to get close to Tidus? Now that I think back on all the memories we share, how do I know which feelings are genuine and which are feigned? How can she choose a fling over an 8-year friendship?

She's why I've named this whole debacle BB - _how could she betray me like this?_

I'll admit, I tend to overreact and just make things worse when I see her. That's why I've been avoiding her for the time being. I'd thought maybe she'll realize why dating my cousin is a big mistake.

From inside my car I look up at Selphie. They've been dating for 7 months. I'm still holding out that she'll come to her senses.

"Hi," I mumble before quickly turning towards Tidus. "See you tomorrow morning," I say, cause I'm ready to get the hell out of here.

"Wait, she drives you to school too?" Selphie exclaims. "Tidus, I offered and you refused! Why would you say no to your girlfriend and yes to your cousin we're _both_ in a fight with?"

Well. You get Selphie's bluntness wherever and whenever.

Tidus visibly flinches, eyes darting towards the side. Dear god, please just let me gooooo. How the hell did I even get caught up in this mess?

Right - I'm close to these two dumbasses who started going out.

They're having some sort of domestic dispute, which I take as my cue to sneak out. I reach over to close the shotgun seat's door when Selphie rests a hand on it. I glance towards her, highly suspicious of her smile - very forced, very fake.

Finally, she speaks. "It's nice seeing you, Kairi."

A billion possible responses run through my mind, but I don't actually voice any of them. My school year resolutions come to my mind - am I ready to execute them? _Shoes, shoes!_ My eyes dart towards her shiny ballet flats.

But my tongue feels so heavy, and my throat feels like it's rubbing against sandpaper, and I really _really_ don't wanna screw things up any more than they are already -

"See you," I respond quietly, straightening my back. Selphie closes the door for me and I pull out of the driveway before I can do anything else.

As I drive home, Selphie's words drift through my mind. Her distant politeness hurts almost as much as the cruel words we'd exchanged in our BB confrontation. I sigh wearily, parking by my mom's car and stomping up the front porch steps.

Life was a lot simpler before the wrong people started confessing to each other.

* * *

 **A/N: Derp what am I doing? Good question.**

 **It's been awhile since I've posted for the fandom, so I thought I'd give myself the kick in the bottom I need and just post something. This is gonna be a slice-of-life highschool!AU. From Kairi's list, you can maybe foresee some plot I have planned, but beyond that - I'm just gonna roll with it.**

 **Happy New Years! May you be well-rested to get back to work. God knows I'm not.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter TWO**

Brainstorming for English Paper: The Most Influential Person In My Life

1\. Mom & Dad - _don't you love how your parents are the perfect excuse for everything? Like: why are you quitting soccer? My parents told me to. / Why can't you come out? My dad won't let me. / Who said sports drinks are bad for you? My MOM, SORA, YEAH TRY TALKING BACK TO HER_  
2\. Tidus: all in all, he's probably the most honest person I know. Like, even with Sora, he'll never stab him in the back just for a win.  
3\. Naminé, whose saintly patience and kindness I strive to emulate everyday. She's never said a bad thing about anyone, even about, like...Sora.

* * *

Some days I wake up with the energy to tackle the day head-on. These are usually days I'm excited about something, or look forward to something, or even worried about something (cause nervous energy is still a form of energy). On these days, I actually wake up without snoozing my alarm, get to leisurely enjoy my breakfast, and arrive at school with time to spare.

Today is not one of those days.

"MOOOOOM!" I'd be more self-conscious about the monstrous quality of my roar if I weren't already late for school. "Where'd you put my keys?"

"They should be on the dining table!" my mom hollers back, also rushing through her morning routine. We usually leave house at around the same time so if I'm late, she must be late too. "Did you put my credit card back in my wallet?"

"Yea - oh, no, not yet." I dash out of the bathroom, passing by my mom and smoothly handing over her credit card. She frowns but is otherwise preoccupied to nag much.

I grab a granola bar, an apple, and a juicebox before deciding to hightail it outta there. "See you later, Mom!" I holler, barely hearing her reply before dashing out the front door. My bag's carelessly tossed into the backseat, and I don't even bother with the audio as I press the pedal. Maybe I can break my record of getting to school in 13 minutes.

For the most part, the stars align in my favor (read: all the traffic lights are green). I have to yield to a pesky pedestrian, but I get to school in 15 minutes. Good enough, I guess.

My plan is to sneak into the classroom through the back door while the teacher's calling attendance. Unfortunately, out of all the days this can happen...the back door's locked! If I go through the front door, I'll directly pass by the teacher's line-of-sight. Choices, choices...or lack thereof, really.

"What are you doing?"

The hairs on my arms stick up, because I assume a teacher's caught me loitering in the halls. School hasn't even started for a month and I'm already getting in trouble? However, with a quick glance over, my stomach stops churning.

"I could ask you the same thing," I return.

How can the universe be so cruel as to add Sora's appearance to a dreadful morning?

He grins, revealing a row of perfectly straight teeth I'm secretly very jealous of. But to his credit, he had to suffer through 2 years of braces.

"I'm going to class," he responds. "You? You're late, aren't you?"

I hate how he's such a know-it-all.

"You're late too," I point out.

"Ah, but I have a pass." He pulls a slip of paper out of his pocket.

I stare at him. "Coach gives them out in bulk to the team, doesn't he?"

Aha, got him! Sora freezes, taking a moment to recover. "Wha - what are you talking about Kairi? Hahaha!" He laughs so nervously that I wonder who he's hoping to deceive. Who _has_ he tricked with that high-pitched giggle?

"You sound like a girl," I bluntly call him out.

"Hey!"

"Still do."

"Well you look like a boy."

"Hey! You know - "

Our argument probably would've continued until a third party intervention, but my eyes settle on his late pass. Suddenly, an idea strikes me.

"Hey Sora." I try to adopt a less contentious tone, even mustering a small grin. Not that he notices. Of course - he's as unobservant as they get.

"What?" he asks.

"You owe me."

"What? No I don't."

Dammit. I thought he's supposed to be dense! "C'mon, Sora...you insulted me yesterday."

"You insulted me too."

"Ugh. Tidus gave you a ride last week."

"Then I owe Tidus."

"Well - you owe me for the BC Hostile Takeover Incident!" I raise a hand, pointing an accusatory finger at him.

"The BC...what?" Sora's brows furrow. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Remember? At the first home game last year...you stole the broadcaster's mic and..."

"The BC...oh, _oh_." Sora laughs. "You named the BC...what? You're so weird, Kairi."

"Likewise. So, you owe me."

"I don't owe anyone for that. Jeez, Kairi, stop making stuff up. What do you want?"

Briefly, I wonder how Sora knows I'm asking for a favor. But my mind quickly moves onto the idea of _asking Sora for a favor_. That means I'll be in his debt, and I don't like being in anyone's debt, much less Sora Hikari.

But right now, it's my pride versus my academic record, the latter of which is more permanent. So I decide my ego can take a blow.

I dig through my bag and hand him a pen.

"What?" He looks at the pen questioningly, wondering what he's supposed to do.

"Just add me to your pass," I propose.

Such a great idea, right? I must be a genius. It's so simple that it's brilliant. Sora's timely appearance is actually a godsend.

"...no."

And then, he shoots down my ingenuity. With one word! Of course, Sora exists to make my life difficult.

"Sora! S'not like you have to do much. Hell, I'll write it if you're so lazy."

"S'not that I'm lazy!" Sora protests, keeping his pass just out of my reach. Damn boys and their late growth spurts - I remember when Sora barely came up to my nose. Good times. "What if you get caught? Then I'll get in trouble too!"

"Jeez, Sora, when'd you become a goody two-shoes?"

"I'm not! This is all-risk zero-return for me. Why should I help you?"

I stare at him for a good few seconds, cause...did those words just come out of his mouth? Maybe he thinks I'm staring at him in awe or something (which is the furthest thing from the truth), cause he goes on to boast about himself. "I learned a lot in that business class over the summer."

"I'm surprised you actually listened."

"Hey! Who's asking for help here?"

I narrow my eyes at him. "When'd you become so petty? Or were you always like this?"

"This is business, Kairi. I have this," he dangles the late pass in his hand, "so what can you bring to the table?"

Sora attempting to practice smart business techniques bothers me more than it should. "...like you said," I finally say. "You do me this favor, I'll owe you one."

He stares at me, and I hold his stare. Honestly, I can't think of anything else Sora might want from me. An IOU for an unspecified date in the future is the best I can do.

"You owe me _bigtime_."

"What bigtime - this is just a small favor, okay Sora? Literally all you have to do is write down my name next to yours."

"Small favor? Kairi, I'm risking my pristine reputation. This is a big risk I'm taking."

"Okay, okay fine. I'll owe you bigtime, alright?" Seriously. I'm just tired of arguing. Him and his pettiness.

"I'm gonna hold you to that," he says, grabbing the pen from my hand.

Whatever. If it really comes down to it, I can argue what 'bigtime' means. Assuming he remembers this, cause god knows he's got the attention span of a goldfish. And it's not like he'll make me do something horrific. From the years I've known him ('cause yes, regrettably, I've known him for an extraordinarily long time), Sora's about as dangerous as a teddy bear. To my knowledge, he's never intentionally harmed someone before.

Unintentionally, though...that's a story (or 10) for another time.

"Here," he says, returning my pen. "Why're you so worked up about a tardy anyways?" he asks.

"Because! I don't wanna ruin my perfect attendance record!"

"S'not like anyone cares."

"I care!"

"That's stupid."

"You're stupid!" Before Sora can fire back with something else, I cut him off. "Let's just go in before a late pass can't even save us."

"...okay," Sora relents.

He turns the doorknob and steps in with me following right behind him. All eyes in the room turn towards us. We stare at our homeroom teacher, who stares right back.

"...well?" the old man finally prompts.

"Huh?" Sora echoes.

"You're late!" our homeroom teacher exclaims. "Do you have something to say for yourself, or why are you just standing there?"

Jeez, someone didn't have sugar with their coffee this morning.

"I - uh, we have a late pass," Sora amends after I jab him in the rib. I forgot Sora's an abysmal liar. What if he cracks under the pressure? What if he begins laughing nervously again?

Sora hands the pass to our teacher, who narrows his eyes and scrutinizes every letter on that tiny piece of paper. Like, who does that? Just accept the pass, mark us present, and move on! We've all got better things to do than stand around and wait!

"From Mr. Fair... _again_ , huh?" The skepticism in his voice is palpable. Sora just smiles and I decide to mimic his ignorance. Our teacher continues. "I understand why Sora would be speaking with him but...Kairi? Why were you there?"

Why? _Why_ has this become an interrogation? I try to maintain my angelic face of innocence while chirping back, "Coach Fair and I were talking about me becoming team manager!" Oh how easily the lies slip out…

"What?" our teacher says.

"What?" Sora mimics. A good elbow jab reminds him where we are. "I - I mean...woot."

The class laughs at his pitiful attempt. Everyone must know we're bullshitting our asses off. I feel like we're just putting on a show for them.

"I didn't know you wanted to be team manager, Kairi. Don't you have your own sport?"

"Yeah, but I used to play soccer." It's always easier to stick to the truth. "I know Coach Fair from middle school. He came to a lot of my games."

"Coach says it's 'cause he was trying to get your coach's number," Sora snickers. The class laughs, and I smile sweetly while shoving his face aside. No one asked for your _existence_ , Sora.

"Anyways," I continue, "I was chatting with Coach Fair and lost track of time. I'll try not to do that again!"

Our teacher eyes me and Sora suspiciously but ultimately marks us present. I slip into my seat right behind Sora, setting my bag down. When the teacher starts writing stuff on the board, Sora turns around and offers a fistbump.

Well. I suppose this is fistbump worthy.

"You owe me," he reminds me.

Of course. I roll my eyes but nod along. I'm still counting on him to forget that inconvenient fact.

Anyways. My day's barely begun and I think I've filled up my quota of tolerating Sora's existence. I turn towards my side and beam at my seatmate, who's none other than my best friend.

"Naminé! How're you?"

Naminé grins, her fingers dexterously finishing a braid that falls neatly over her shoulder. "I'm good. How are you, Kairi? I was a little worried when the bell rang and you weren't here."

I sigh. My entire story would take forever to tell, so I go with a succinct summary. "Woke up on the wrong side of bed."

"Ah, I see…"

"What's that?" I ask, pointing curiously at an intricate sketch on the corner of her planner. My bestie is quite the artist. Or designer is probably the more accurate term. From what I can tell, it's a landscape of willow trees and a bridge by a lake.

Hastily, my modest bestie flips her notebook over. Did I mention she's incredibly shy about her artistic creations? My brother tried explaining it to me once (believe it or not, he writes poems), but I still don't really understand why artists are so private with their masterpieces. Isn't the point of art to share your view of the world with others? Then again, I'm not an artist so what do I know?

"It's nothing," Naminé says nonchalantly, flipping her braid over her shoulder. "Just got bored waiting for you with nothing to do." Her cheeks then flush pink. Honestly, because she's so pale, the slightest bit of color shows so obviously on Naminé's face. I actually didn't believe people blushed until I saw Naminé's cheeks.

A wide grin stretches across my face. "Aw, you poor thing! Had to suffer through that old man's lecture alone."

Naminé chuckles. "Our homeroom teacher's not _that_ old!"

I shrug. "He's thinning already." I never really liked him.

Naminé chuckles again.

"I was gonna ask," she says, wide-eyed, "I didn't know you were gonna be the boy's soccer team manager?"

I smirk, recalling my improv white lie. I guess I'm just a natural under the spotlight. " _Totally_. I want to fill their nasty water bottles and watch every mistake they make on the pitch." Slowly, Naminé catches on and her lips stretch into a smile.

Speaking of my acting skills… "You said you're trying out for the drama club's year-end play, right?" I ask.

My best blonde friend (and only blonde friend, I believe) nods. "I...I think so?" she ends up asking me.

"You think? I hope you're thinking," I quip.

Naminé rolls her eyes, pouting while crossing her arms. "I mean...I've always been on the set design team, so I don't know if I can cross over into on-stage acting…"

"Of course you can! You know that stage like the back of your hand!" I encourage. "And I'll try out with you!"

"H - huh?"

"Yeah! I dropped dance, so I thought I could do drama club with you this year. And hey, I plan to own the year-end play with you, Naminé."

I think this is one of my better resolutions for the school year. It had crossed my mind just last week when Naminé mentioned trying out for an acting role this year. Finally! She's been doing behind-the-scenes work for 2 years - she deserves the chance to shine! She's always been the type to fret too much. She just needs some encouragement and a little push in the right direction, which is what this best friend seeks to do!

Plus, maybe drama will also teach me a thing or two. Like about controlling your emotions, public speaking, how to remain calm in any circumstance… Naminé's like the epitome of calm, cool, and collected. She's got social etiquette down to a tee. Meanwhile, I'm here trying to salvage a friendship that ended over...let's just say some unsavory words. Maybe I'll even make some friends along the way. Minus Selphie, my close friends now include Naminé...and Tidus, and my brother.

It's kinda sad when you're only friends with people related to you. Therefore #goals.

Naminé, who's taken her time digesting the news, finally smiles. "I'm happy, Kairi. You'll do great."

"We'll do great!" I'm so excited right now I can barely sit still. Luckily, the homeroom teacher dismisses us and we're free for a few minutes until first period.

"Well, time for English," I say, standing up. That reminds me, I still need to work on my paper. Thinking about my lack of progress makes me frown. "Anyways, I'll see you at lunch, Naminé!"

"Um, Kairi?"

"Huh?"

"Do you wanna practice during lunch?"

I blink. "For...track? No, we never practice during lunchtime. I'd quit if they made us practice during lunch break." For real. There aren't a lot of things that I'd give up food for.

Naminé chuckles. "No, I meant for drama club. I mean, I'm sure you'll pass. You're always really good in all those English classes when we have to act out a scene…"

"...wait, what?"

"The auditions to get in drama club? They're today afterschool. You've signed up...right?"

"... _auditions?!_ "

Like I said, maybe drama club will teach me some stuff. Like how to get a hold of myself. And my life.

* * *

 **A/N: #updategoals. Hey, a biweekly publishing cycle ain't bad, right? Considering I'm a full-time college student...**

 **Anyways, thanks for the follows/favorites for the first chapter! In a sense, I'm sticking to my preferred genre (highschool!AU), but the first-person narration and present tense are an experiment. Let me say, maintaining Kairi's voice is _hard_. If you have any feedback, please let me know! Will not lie, slightly (just _slightly_ ) heartbroken/devastated/crushed that there were no reviews.**

 **Until next time, my lovely readers.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter THREE**

Snacks to buy that aren't cookies \- _cause season's starting and I gotta get fit_

\- celery sticks  
\- baby carrots  
\- fruit: bananas (all that K, baby), apples, oranges…  
\- yogurt  
\- almonds  
\- ...peanut butter counts right  
\- NOW I JUST REALLY WANT A DONUT

 _ugh just looking at this list gives me a head (and stomach) ache_

* * *

"KAIRI!"

"Yessir!"

"Before we end today...is that my Anna? Anna!"

I watch as my cross country coach's infinitesimally short attention span leads him back to the one constant in his life: his daughter. He sees her in everything he does. Given his age, I think it's part of growing sentimental. And growing old.

But...wait, that's actually Coach Tellah's daughter waving at us from the school gate. Huh. I thought he was just hearing things again.

"Hey! Where's Coach going?" our captain Yuffie asks, hopping between the balls of her feet.

"He saw his daughter."

"Like, saw-saw?"

"Like...I also saw her. Right there." I point at Anna's figure at a distance.

"Oh!" Yuffie grins. "So we're dismissed! I'll go tell everyone."

Before I can correct her (not that I really want to), Yuffie heads back towards the rest of the team doing cooldown stretches. Well, maybe I should also go before Coach Tellah returns with a new set of conditioning exercises…

I follow Yuffie back to my teammates. At this point, they're all either chatting or getting ready to leave. I'm by no means a running fanatic, but the thought of skimping on practice a week before our next meet makes me anxious. So I do what a runner does best: run off my nerves.

"You going for another round?" Yuffie asks before I wander off too far.

I halt, turning around to face her, and shrug. "Just another cooldown lap. I'm nervous about next week."

Yuffie smirks. "Look at you working so hard, Kairi. Makes me look bad."

I chuckle at Yuffie's lightheartedness. "I try."

"C'mon. I'll run with you."

Before I can refuse, Yuffie's already jogging two steps ahead of me. I'll admit I'm a little competitive, so I catch up in a few quick strides and try to match her steps.

Yuffie's cooldown pace is a little faster than mine, but I think I can handle it. However, I don't expect holding a conversation at this slightly-faster-than-I'm-used-to speed.

"What're you up to these days? Besides cross country, that is," Yuffie asks.

Since I'm exhausted from practice and focused on keeping up with her pace, my answers come out short and precise. "School. Hanging out with friends. The usual. You?"

As we round a corner, Yuffie laughs - how can she run so fast _and_ laugh? - her head peering towards the grassy field in the middle of the track. We're in the midst of football season, so all the jocks are still out there doing drills and running plays. Her next words throw me off. "I'm trying to figure out how to ask Squall to Fall Formal."

Huh? "You...and Squall?" Squall's a quiet guy. To my knowledge, he mostly keeps to himself and his core group of friends. I didn't even know Yuffie knows Squall, much less wants to go to Fall Formal with him.

"Yup! I'm tired of watching that clueless rich bitch lead him on. He deserves better, you know?"

I have no idea who 'clueless rich bitch' refers to, but I nod along to what Yuffie's saying.

"Sorry," she hastily says, "I didn't mean that. Well I did, but not really." She shrugs. "He's my friend, y'know? I just want what's best for him. And all he does is mope about her these days. He broods enough for the two of us!"

I chuckle. Despite everything, Yuffie's endearingly protective of her friends. Of me and everyone on cross country too - she can act like a team mom sometimes. Or maybe like the team's hip older sister?

"Enough about me! What about you, Kairi? Gonna go to Fall Formal with anyone? Like...Riku?"

I stare at Yuffie's oblivious smile, wondering if she's implying something or just doesn't know. Well...I'm more concerned about not falling behind Yuffie's pace, so I forgo tact and spare minimal brain cells to respond to her question. The words fall off my tongue.

"We, uh, broke up." Way to carry a conversation, Kairi. This is what drama club's supposed to remedy. Speaking of which, they'd better accept me and my award-winning portrayal of life underwater as Ariel.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" Yuffie chirps brightly enough. "Was it - err, did you, or he…?"

"It was mutual," I say. My breakup with Riku was about as amicable as it can be. No hard feelings, promises to remain friends...and subsequently minimal contact. Yeah, things could be a lot worse.

"Oh. I'm so surprised! You two were like the posterchildren for an inter-grade romance."

I laugh. "Inter-what?"

"Inter-grade! Y'know, cause he's in my grade and you're a...junior, right?" Yuffie grins. "You guys were so cute!"

I say the breakup was mutual, but hearing stuff like that still gets to me a little. A hollow laugh escapes my throat. "Yeah…" I trail off, hoping we'll leave that there.

"Anyways, I'm sorry for bringing that up. I'm always last to hear this kind of news. Just can't keep up with all the gossip." Yuffie laughs. I watch her feet automatically pick up the pace at the last stretch. She's a few steps ahead of me, and I try hard to not let that distance widen. Yuffie effortlessly steps past the finish line, continuing towards another lap, but I slow down to a stop.

"I think I'm done," I call out to Yuffie, who turns her head around and then heads back.

"Sorry! I kept going cause I wanted to talk to you a little more. You said you were only gonna run one lap."

My heart warms a little at Yuffie's words. "I'm burnt out. Your cooldown is like my mile time."

Yuffie laughs aloud, slapping my back - quite hard. Ugh, who knew she packs so much energy in her tiny body? I make sure my smile doesn't morph into a grimace. "Your mile time's almost as good as mine, Kairi! Of course, you're not quite there yet otherwise you'd be captain."

I roll my eyes. "I'll see you tomorrow, Yuffie."

"See ya, Kairi!"

She then runs off towards the school building. We just went through the same drills and I'm wiped out. Where does she get all that energy?

It's almost 5:30, so I hurry to the lockers to take a quick shower and change out of my sweaty clothes. I'm always famished after practice. The thought of returning home to refrigerated food is disappointing to say the least. I wonder if there's anyone I can grab dinner with right now…

As I'm coming out of the locker room, an answer is delivered to me.

I dash up to Tidus' familiar back figure and tap his shoulder. I leave a finger pointing right next to his cheek and a head turn later, he falls for it.

"What the - oh, hey Kai. What's up?"

"Gotcha!"

We're actually doing much better after I drove him to and from school a few times. Nothing like being forced to spend time together in an enclosed space. I'm not sure who it was, but someone eventually broke the silence. As long as we don't mention Selphie, it's kinda like BB didn't happen. I mean, I've sorta missed him when we weren't talking. I've literally known him since I was born. And I've always known he'll always have my back. I miss that feeling.

Ahem. Anyways. "Wanna grab dinner?" I ask.

"Oh. Uh…"

"C'mon, Tidus. I'm starving and there's only leftovers tonight."

Tidus does that awkward face scrunch thing again. Doesn't he know that'll give him wrinkles? I'm not sure what he's thinking so I watch him struggle with his words. "Uh, I'm getting food with the guys."

"What guys?"

"...from soccer. We were scrimmaging just now."

I smile nervously. "Oh…okay, cool."

Tidus, however, begins pulling out his phone. "Or, uh, I'll just tell them I can't make it - "

"No! No, you should go! I can...have leftovers…"

"You just said you don't wanna eat leftovers. I'll just text'em - "

I cringe at how distantly polite we're being with each other. Usually Tidus would blow me off for his friends without a second thought. We're both each other's backup plans for this sort of thing, and we've always been fine with that. Now I feel awkward that he's prioritizing me over his friends. I guess mending this relationship's still a work-in-progress.

"It's okay, Tidus, we can get dinner another time."

"Nah, I wanna eat with you." Pause. I'd say Tidus was blushing if he were the blushing type. But he just stammers to take back his words. "I mean, since - uh, since you offered…"

I stare at his fingers already dashing across the touchscreen. Hastily, I snatch his phone from him.

"Hey!" he protests. "What, Kairi?"

"I - " I what? Now that we're looking at each other...what do I wanna say? 'Stop speaking to me so formally'? 'Why are you acting like this'? 'Can we just admit Selphie exists, BB exists, and though we can't go back to the past, at least we can move forward'?

...yeah, no way we're having the Talk now. We're still at that awkward phase with each other. Jumping the gun won't be good for anyone. Right?

"I...just remembered!" My eyes light up as the lie begins forming in my head. "I...promised Mom I'd...water the plants."

Stare. Stare.

Okay, I'm really bad at staring contests. And when did Tidus get so good? My eyes break away and I wait in awkward silence for his response.

"...okay."

"Okay?"

"Yeah, okay."

"Okay."

"That's what I said."

"I know. I'm just confirming that's what you said."

"I said it like three times."

A familiar sensation of mild irritation starts buzzing in my head. It takes me a second to realize how...comfortable it is. For a moment, I feel like we're back to normal.

"I'm gonna go then," Tidus says. "Say hi to your mom for me."

"Yeah, sure. Have a good dinner."

I cringe at how polite I sound. I guess this distancing tactic is a two-way thing.

Nonetheless, when Tidus leaves, I realize I'm back to square one with dinner plans. There goes my only source of company. I guess I'll just heat up the leftovers and maybe actually water the plants.

* * *

At least I'll always have my TV shows.

Yes, yes, words of a true loner. I swear, I'm generally quite sociable and friendly. I like hanging out with people. I guess I...I'm just...going through a rut lately, and all these awkward relationships are tripping me up. With all my bad luck, I've decided to not jeopardize any other relationships I have and just settle with being alone for the time being.

It's quite lonely, I realize belatedly when it's 8pm and Mom and Dad are nowhere to be found. Somehow, on the nights that I have nothing to do, everyone else in my life ends up living theirs. And I thought I can always count on my parents...guess not.

But at least I have my pillows, stuffed animal, and bag of chips at hand.

Just as the girl is about to respond to the guy's confession (OMG but what about her best friend who has pined after her for years?), the doorbell unexpectedly rings. I pause the show, look around curiously, and then remember I'm home alone. So that means I have to answer the door.

I pull myself up from my very comfortable position and cautiously approach. Suddenly, all those horror stories about murderers and rapists showing up at your front door come to mind. Of course, our neighborhood's pretty safe, so that's just me being paranoid.

I open the door to an unfamiliar woman, dressed nicely in a shirt, pants, and silk scarf. Her eyes light up upon seeing me but then fade away with confusion.

"Hi! I'm here for the dinner?"

I blink. "Sorry ma'am, I think you have the wrong address."

The woman frowns, looking down at her phone. "Isn't this...465 Coral Avenue?"

I lean over her shoulder and glimpse at the GPS app pulled up. "Yeah...but there's no dinner here tonight. Besides leftovers." I chuckle, but the woman just frowns. I clear my throat. "Uh, who are you looking for?"

"Aya? Aya Hikari."

Well, doesn't that name sound familiar? Actually, I should've expected it since this isn't the first time this has happened. "Mrs. Hikari lives at 465 Korel Avenue. I know - super confusing. But if you go down this street and turn left at the second intersection, her house is three blocks down on your right."

The woman's eyes boggle upon hearing my directions. I look outside at the dying sun, thinking she's never gonna find her way once it gets dark. Plus, I'm a little bloated from dinner. "I can walk you over," I volunteer.

"Oh, you would? Thank you so much, dear." She smiles gratefully, and I shrug. I still need a karmic good deed today anyways.

I grab my phone and keys before accompanying the woman, apparently Mrs. Hikari's friend from college, to her destination. Mrs. Hikari loves hosting parties for her wide network of friends and acquaintances - to my knowledge, she holds one at least every other week. She's a very sociable lady.

"How do you know Aya?" the woman asks curiously.

I pause, considering my words before speaking. "I go to the same high school as her son."

"Oh, that's right, she has a son! What's his name again?"

"Sora."

"That's right, Sora! I met him when he was just a little kid…"

I tune out the woman's voiced nostalgia, more concerned with how chilly the autumn night is. The temperature sure is dropping fast. I rub my bare arms quickly trying to generate heat, even though I already feel my toes going numb. At least we're almost there.

Though the Hikari household is just a few blocks away from mine, it easily stands out with its ornate fencing and ostentatious yard displays. Mrs. Hikari has always had a flair for dramatics. The front gate is shut, but a quick check reveals it's unlocked. I walk the woman up to the front steps and she presses the doorbell eagerly. While waiting, she turns around and suddenly gives me a hug.

"Thank you so much, dear. What's your name again?"

"Kairi, ma'am."

"Thank you so much, Kairi! I never would've made it without you."

At that moment, the door swings opens and both of us look towards the entrance of the house. Mrs. Hikari, decked out in a form-fitting dress and pearls, beams at the woman I escorted. "Sweetie, you made it!" she squeals, flinging her arms around her and giving her a tight hug.

"Of course! My goodness, Aya, you look _fabulous_!"

"Oh, you're exaggerating again. Come in! And Kairi! What are you doing here?" Mrs. Hikari beams at me. Did I mention she's very tall? Looking at her is somewhat intimidating. I suspect she used to be a model. "Are you looking for my son?"

I chuckle, wondering when's the last time she checked in with her son about his relationship with me. "No, your friend ended up at my house so I walked her over."

"Oh, Kairi, bless your kind soul," Mrs. Hikari gushes. "Did you want to come in and have something to drink? We just popped the champagne - I promise I won't tell your mom."

I blink, still processing the fact that Mrs. Hikari just offered me alcohol. I'd never pegged her as the cool mom type...though _oh_ , in hindsight, she's totally the cool mom. "Um, I'm fine, Mrs. Hikari. It's getting cold, so I'll just get going - "

"My dear, look at you! You're shivering! Let me grab something for you!"

"It's okay, Mrs. Hikari - "

"Nonsense! You walked my guest over, so it's the least I can do! Come in and have a seat! And don't you dare leave until I come back!" Before I can say anything, Mrs. Hikari is gone and lost in the crowd inside the house.

Her friend laughs. "Same old Aya. She almost has a compulsive need to help others." She sighs contently, perhaps reminiscing fonder times of her youth with Mrs. Hikari. Her head then tilts as her eyes light up. "Oh my goodness, is that who I think it is?" After taking off her shoes, she heads into the house straight towards whoever she just picked out of the crowd.

I look around awkwardly, wondering what I'm supposed to do now. I try to make myself small and inconspicuously enter the house, quietly shutting the door behind me. Peering around, I notice a cushiony stool by the shoe rack and take a seat, waiting for Mrs. Hikari to return.

I've been to a handful of Mrs. Hikari's parties before. She invites my parents and I'm supposed to tag along so we have that one big happy family image going for us. One thing I must say, she always serves really good food. I briefly consider if I should steal some hot food before I leave.

"Hey," a voice calls out.

I turn towards my side to see Sora, towering over seated me. I don't like the height advantage he has so I stand up to reduce the difference. Since his mom's hosting a party, he's dressed somewhat nicer than usual. I can't help stare at the stains on his white shirt.

His eyes follow mine. "Soybean paste," he explains.

"Slob."

"Hey! Well, I guess you don't want a slob's clothes then," he says, raising a hand with a sweatshirt and then holding it away from me.

I roll my eyes. "I don't need it anyways - your mom insisted."

Sora shrugs, tossing the shirt over his shoulder. "Alright. What're you doing here? Your parents came?"

"Nah. One of your mom's guests ended up at my house again."

"Oh."

"Yeah. I'm starving, so I'm gonna go." Pause. I look around the house curiously, since I can't smell anything in particular. "What type of food's your mom serving?" I ask.

Sora pauses for a moment. "Korean."

My eyes widen. "Korean?" Suddenly, it's my love for Korean food versus propriety in front of Sora - and it should be obvious who wins. Cause it's not like I've ever worried about being proper, much less in front of Sora. "Can I get some before I go?"

Sora snorts. "You're gonna bum off the bum?"

"Hey, you're the bum, not your mom."

"Then you're bumming off the bum's mom," Sora says smartly.

I laugh and attempt to string together a reply...but fail. "I - I don't even have anything to say to that." This analogy's gotten way out of hand.

"That means I win!" Sora cheers. Quite childishly, if I must say.

"It was never a competition, Sora," I point out like the mature big girl I am.

"What're you talking about, Kairi?" Sora looks me in the eye. "It's always been a competition."

Usually, I'm careless with things regarding Sora, shaking off most matters quite easily. Cause he says and does things without thinking it through - you really can't take him too seriously. But for some reason, his words get to me this time and I pause. On the surface, it seems like he's just ribbing off me. But does he actually mean something? Is he referring to something? What's he trying to say?

But...this is Sora: simple-minded and straightforward. I'm just overthinking, right?

Sora continues speaking. "C'mon. I'll grab you a Tupperware." He then turns around to head inside.

I pause for a moment, still dallying on my earlier thought. For some reason, I felt like I was close to an epiphany. But Sora's retreating figure is slowly merging with the crowd, and I don't wanna lose him now.

The moment passes, so I kick off my shoes and head inside. Like with most things involving Sora, I just quickly move on with life.

* * *

 **A/N: I was gonna wait till tomorrow to post this but...if you've got nothing to do tonight (like me), consider this my gift to you. Happy Valentine's Day! I'll be spending the day** **alone reflecting on life (and hopefully writing chapter four)...**

 **What else to say?**

 **\- Yes, cameo of FFIV characters cause why not? And cause that's actually the only FF game I've played.  
\- Too many characters/name drops? Leave a message if you think it's too hard to keep up.  
\- Did anyone notice that the entire chapter two is basically Kairi being late to school? #sliceoflife**

 **^while we're on the subject, I want to explain what slice-of-life means, at least to me. You can consider this story a series of one-shots about Kairi's life. Sometimes there will be more conflicts. Sometimes there will be essentially no plot. Sometimes we'll see a milestone in her life. Sometimes she'll just go through her daily routine. I'll go in chronological order for the most part (maybe have some flashbacks for events that happened prior to chapter one), but I'll skip parts of Kairi's life. For example, you might've noticed Kairi's audition for drama club happened off-page between chapters two and three.**

 **I actually do want some feedback on this style of writing, so let me know if the lack of coherency frustrates you or you like these stolen glimpses into a person's life.**

 **Signing off with much love.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter FOUR**

Possible ideas for Naminé's birthday gift:

\- A new sketchpad - feels like a cop out at this point  
\- A horse stuffed animal  
\- I'd get something for her DSLR but I don't speak camera  
\- Maybe a nice frame?

 _Shit what's Naminé's favorite color?  
What cake does Naminé like?_

 **Conclusion: I'm such a bad friend :(**

* * *

The scoreboard numbers flip to display 10-25. Our side of the bleachers groans disappointedly, but the raucous cheers from the other half easily drowns us out. I glance at my side, where Naminé is dutifully aiming her camera at our team, the Tremblay High Bears. Honestly, our loss doesn't come as much of a surprise. Eld Academy's known for their athletics program, probably among the best of all the Destiny Island schools. Plus, our girl's volleyball team sucks.

Hey, just keeping it real here.

"How'd you end up drawing, like, the shortest stick?" I ask, jumping to my feet as Naminé grabs her equipment. "You could've at least taken photos for the boys. There's a sophomore who spikes like he wants to make a hole in the ground." Watching my bestie struggle with twice the usual amount of belongings, I grab her tripod for her.

"Oh, thanks," she mumbles, adjusting her camera's strap around her neck. "The yearbook editor lumped different seasonal sports together, so if I wanted boy's soccer, I had to take girl's volleyball too."

"Ooh, boy's soccer, huh? Do you wanna see anyone in particular?"

To Naminé's credit (and probably experience from years of enduring my teasing), she blushes but composes a smooth reply. "Roxas and Ven are on the team."

"Roxas and Ven, huh?"

Naminé grins sheepishly. "My friends _,_ Kairi. Like you."

"Hey, I didn't say anything."

"But you did."

I swat her on the arm playfully. "Quit being such a sass and gimme back my best friend!" Naminé laughs, clutching her camera protectively as we file out of the gym and head towards the parking lot.

The sun has begun its dip towards the horizon, but most of its brilliance is shrouded by a big fat cloud. Eld Academy's located on the eastern part of Destiny Island, a good twenty-minute drive away from our school. On the occasional times I've accompanied Naminé to take yearbook photos for varsity games, we usually take the bus back with the team. But sometimes, like today, plans go awry.

"Pizza on me today!" the girl's volleyball coach hollers, instantly arousing cheers from the entire team. I think the girls joined the sport more for the camaraderie. Exercise and the (very) occasional win are just bonuses. Oh, and the coach is a really nice person.

"Naminé, and...Kairi right? You two should come too! It's just a few blocks from here."

See? She offered food! What a nice person.

I'm usually the last person to refuse food, but unfortunately, the setting sun's given me other ideas. "Sorry, ma'am. Naminé and I are heading out."

"Oh, okay. Make sure you get home safe. Thanks again for the pictures, Naminé! Could you send me today's photos as well?"

"Of course!" Naminé smiles. "Have a good dinner."

The team boards the bus, headed towards the nearby pizza parlor. Naminé glances at me curiously. "Are we headed to the train station?"

"Let's take a detour," I suggest, checking my phone's map for the correct location. "Yeah, should be a ten-minute walk. There's a great view nearby."

"Oh, for the sunset?" As usual, my perceptive bestie catches on real quick. "That's a good idea, Kairi."

Her offhand compliment makes me smile. "Let's go before the sun actually sets."

We walk in relative silence, balancing our bags while pacing our breaths. I'd forgotten about Naminé's equipment, so climbing the hill is quite exhausting. But reaching the top makes everything worth it. East of Destiny Island is quite mountainous, and with our higher elevation at the top of this hill, we can see quite far. Far enough.

"Oh my god," Naminé breathes at the gorgeous view. "Can you give me my tripod?"

I hand the equipment over and let Naminé do her thing, fiddling with the settings on her camera. Meanwhile, I bask in the adrenaline coursing through my veins, the twilight ambience, and a warm feeling of satisfaction. It's a hard feeling to come by these days. I feel like most of the times, I'm either too busy trying to get something done or regretting doing something I shouldn't have. But now, for just a moment, I can enjoy the present.

Huh. Who would've known sunsets make me philosophical?

"Turn around, Kairi," Naminé whispers, her soft voice zipping through the air. I twirl around to realize her camera's aimed at me.

"Did you just take my picture?" I exclaim. Hastily I rearrange my bangs and smile again. "At least give me a warning! Okay, I'm ready."

Naminé makes a combination of an exasperated sigh and amused snort. "I wanted a candid. But anyways...3, 2, 1! Aww, that's cute."

"C'mon, let's take one together!" I exclaim, beckoning for her. Naminé nods, setting up the timer on her camera and squealing as she dashes over. For some reason, timed photos always make her excited-nervous. Me too, for that matter.

"How many seconds?" I ask as my arms wrap around a laughing Naminé. "Hey! Stop laughing and look at the camera!"

"Oh, I didn't check if we're blocking the sunset!" Naminé realizes.

I latch onto her before she can leave. "It's okay. Just stand here!" I position her on my side, tilting my head towards her. We're ready for the picture when a gust of wind blows by, messing up my hair. " _Great_ ," I groan, quickly trying to comb through the mess.

"Your bangs," Naminé says, pointing at her own.

I brush aside a stray strand. "Thanks." I look at Naminé, whose hair is somehow still perfect despite the wind. How? Oh, except…

My laugh makes Naminé blush self-consciously. Which isn't my intention. "I'm sorry, I just - there's a leaf in your hair!"

"Huh?"

"Right there!" I point at it, but Naminé's hand completely misses the mark. "Here, don't move." I carefully pick it out, holding it in front of her to show her. "Actually, it looked quite nice. You had a woods nymph vibe going on. Maybe I should put it back."

"No!"

I laugh, dropping the leaf to the side.

Naminé pauses, turning towards the camera. "I think...we missed the timer."

"Oh shit, I thought we still had time!"

"I set it on 10 seconds this time…" Naminé heads back to the camera. "Yeah, we missed it. Aww, but this is cute! Look at this!"

I follow after her and check out our picture. Oh dear goodness. "Why's my right eye look bigger than my left? And is that a double chin?"

"Kairi! You're laughing, that's all. You're actually really good at distracting people for candids."

I frown. "Yeah, getting _other_ people into the mood for candids. I always look weird in my candids."

" _Kairi._ "

"Look at you! Smiling with the sun shining from behind like you're an angel or something."

Naminé laughs, swatting me playfully. "Okay, I'll choose a longer timer. Hopefully there's no wind this time."

Naminé quickly prepares the camera's settings. "No laughing!" I tell her sternly. With a wide silly smile on her face, she nods. We have ample time to smile at the camera in silence and get a good picture. Naminé checks on it and with her thumbs-up, we're good this time.

Naminé wants to take some more photos, so I put my stuff down and get comfortable on a nearby rock. Watching the sunset is nice. Somehow, it's just mind-consuming enough that I don't think of useless thoughts.

Naminé eventually comes to take a seat next to me. "How'd you find this place?" she asks.

"My mom. She loves exploring east Destiny Island cause there's always nice unknown spots like this."

"Yeah, it's really nice here." Naminé pauses, inhaling deeply. "By the way, thanks for coming with me today. I know you're not interested in volleyball."

I shrug. "Had nothing better to do anyways. And I didn't want to start studying for the math test tomorrow."

"Oh god, I totally forgot we have a math test tomorrow."

I snort. "We're such bad students."

"We are," Naminé echoes.

Our small talk dies down momentarily, but it's comfortable silence as we bask in the dying sun's rays.

A thought occurs to me. "Are you going to Fall Formal?"

"Maybe. Are you?"

"...no, I don't think so. I don't have anyone to go with."

"You can go by yourself!" Naminé insists.

"That's true...yeah, I don't know why I said that. I mean...I think I don't really wanna go to couple-y events like that. Not yet."

"Oh…" Naminé's voice dies down. "I guess...it hasn't been that long."

I frown. "Yeah. Five months. Shouldn't that be long enough time to get over someone? I mean, I am over him. Mostly." I sigh wearily.

"There's no such thing as a standard for this sort of thing," Naminé consoles gently. "Just go at your own pace. If you don't wanna go to Fall Formal, then don't. We can do something else."

"But you should go! What if someone asks you?"

Naminé makes a face and laughs. "Who's gonna ask me?"

I stare at my best friend, wondering if she's fishing or really that clueless. "Uh, Roxas? Ventus? Half the boys in our grade?"

"Roxas and Ven are _friends_ , Kairi," Naminé stresses for the nth time. I make a face so she knows I'm not convinced but I don't say anything to the contrary. "And I'm not that close to anyone else in our grade."

"Maybe a senior then," I muse.

"I appreciate your support for my lackluster love life," Naminé comments, "but what I _wanted_ to say was I'm here for you." Quite predictably at this point, a healthy blush punctuates her words.

My heart warms a little. "Aww, you're so cute Naminé." She squeaks when I envelop her in a hug. "But really, if someone asks, please go to Fall Formal with him."

"What about 'sisters before misters'?"

"Why not both?"

Naminé laughs. "You're right, I guess. Then you have to come with me, just to make sure I don't humiliate myself."

"Please, Naminé, if anything, you're gonna have to chaperone me." I barely stifle a chuckle. "Remember that time we chaperoned for Mrs. Avila's class - "

"...and that boy peed in his pants?" Naminé finishes my sentence and we burst into giggles. "I had no idea what to do!"

"Me neither! I felt so bad for him, all the kids were laughing!"

"Oh my gosh, wait, do you remember that kid with the glasses and overalls?"

"The one you played favorites with?"

Naminé rolls her eyes. "Anyways, I was going through my stuff recently and I found the card they all signed at the end of summer camp. I reread it, and he wrote he'd come find me again next summer!"

"Naminé!" I shove her playfully. "You stood him up! You spent that summer in Radiant Garden!"

"I know, I felt really bad for a minute!" Naminé exclaims, chuckling. "But he probably didn't even remember he wrote that."

"Or maybe you broke his heart."

"Kairi!"

"Just like you broke Axel's."

" _Kairi!_ "

I laugh aloud, cause Naminé's pouting and it's so fun to tease her.

"Remember," Naminé begins, and I smile cause I like this nostalgia game we're playing, "when you thought Axel was in a gang?"

I slam my hands on the ground. "He is!" I pause. "Was? I don't know if he still is, but he most definitely _was_!"

"Kairi! Just cause they chose that name - "

"I mean, who calls themselves an Organization and assigns numbers to all their members?"

" - just a low-key club!" Naminé exclaims. "I've actually gone once."

"What?" When did my bestie become such a badass? "When? How come I don't know?"

Naminé pauses for a moment. "I think it was freshman year? Axel dragged Roxas and I didn't want him going alone. It was pretty chill. They just played cards and some pool." I'm still staring at Naminé, processing the fact that she went to a club. Before me.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Um, it just didn't come up…?"

"My god, Naminé. Next thing I know, you'll be engaged when I didn't even know you had a boyfriend."

"Kairi." Naminé frowns. "Of course I'd let you know."

"Good! I expect many updates on your life."

"Okay. By the way, can we have Japanese for dinner?"

"Update duly noted, duly appreciated. Hey, I remember you used to not like Japanese food?"

Naminé laughs. "Oh, I almost forgot. Yeah, when I first moved over. I wasn't big on seafood but it's everywhere on Destiny Island, so…"

"I remember in middle school, when they passed out lunchboxes at the field trip and you told the teacher you didn't eat fish."

"Oh my gosh, I was such a brat!" Naminé laughs. "I guess I was a picky kid."

"Still are, you mean."

"Not everyone eats everything and anything like you, Kairi."

"Hey! I'm just saying, that's my first impression of you. I think that was...6th grade? Were we friends then?"

"No, I think we got close when I found out you watched - "

"Oh _damn_ , what's that show called again?"

"You don't watch it anymore?" Naminé exclaims. "Not much of a spoiler, but Kara and Robert get married in season 6."

" _Fortress!_ " I remember. "Shit, finally? I think I stopped in the middle of season 2. I was getting annoyed with the 'will they or won't they,' and the crimes were getting a little repetitive."

"True. I just wanted to see Kara and Robert get together." Naminé laughs. "I remember we'd watch the episode when it came out Thursday night and spend the entire Friday English class talking about it."

"Oh my god, yeah! Mrs. Gates hated us!"

"Well, she gave me an A."

" _What?_ That old - well, she was middle-aged I guess. She gave me a B+!"

"English class was so easy in middle school," Naminé reminisces. "I hate Honors English. We have timed essays once a month."

"At least you got in," I grumble.

"I feel like it was completely arbitrary. Like, whether or not the teacher liked what you wrote. You're definitely a better student than some of the people in my class."

Naminé's really good at boosting my self-esteem like that. "English class in general is a pain," I complain. "I just don't see the symbolism and all that shit. And what's the point anyways? I can't wait until college."

"Then it's no more math classes for me!" Naminé cheers.

"Screw chemistry!"

"Goodbye physics! But...what are you gonna study?" Naminé asks.

That's a good question. All I know is what I _don't_ want to study. "I don't know. Maybe biology. You?"

"Psych. I can't wait to take AP Psych next year," Naminé gushes. "You're still taking it, right?"

"Yeah, of course! Otherwise I have to take econ...and I just died a little inside thinking about it. But god, we'll be seniors then."

"Our last year of high school."

"Oh my god." I pause for a moment, a deluge of feelings washing over me. "I can't think that far ahead yet."

"If you think about it...there's still a year. A lot can happen in a year," Naminé points out.

"Yeah, that's true…"

Somehow, that feels like the right note to end on. The sun has set already, and the sky's rapidly growing dark. I jump to my feet. "We should get going."

"What time is it?" Naminé asks while checking her phone. She then groans.

"What? Do you have something to do?" I ask worriedly, wondering if I made Naminé miss her dinner plans.

"No, it's just…" She shows me her phone. "Five missed calls from my dad."

"Oh...well, he's probably worried cause it's getting dark soon."

"It's so annoying, he's always calling me to ask where I am." She pauses, and I wait for what else she has to say but she just stuffs her phone into her pocket without calling him back. "Anyways, let's go."

Naminé can get quite moody, so I decide to drop the subject. We descend the hill in silence and head towards the train station to take one back to central Destiny Island. The ride back offers an alternative view of the sunset that I admire and Naminé tries snapping photos of.

"Stupid window," she curses, tapping her fingers on the glass.

I chuckle. "Sorry this isn't a perfect world."

Naminé frowns. "I just want to take a photo. Is that too much to ask for?"

Such melodrama. Speaking of which, "Do you know when they'll let me know if I got in drama club?" I ask.

"Um, should be some time this week, latest next Monday. I'm not sure exactly, cause the officers are making the decision."

"Ugh, okay."

"Don't be nervous! I'm sure you got in," Naminé encourages cheerfully.

"I was pretty confident, but all this waiting's getting me anxious," I admit.

"We're really not exclusive at all," Naminé says. "In fact, we really need people cause a lot of seniors graduated from the club. I think they just like pretending they have a lot of power in their hands."

I laugh. "Yuna seems pretty nice though," I comment, recalling the drama club president.

"Oh yeah, they're all really nice people," Naminé hastily says. "I didn't mean to say anything bad about them…"

"Don't worry, I know. You've never said anything bad about anyone." I think carefully, trying to prove myself wrong. "Oh, except about me."

"What? When did I say something bad about you?"

"You called me overdramatic the other day!" I wail.

"What?"

"Remember? When you were checking out books at the library and we were waiting in line…"

"Oh. Kairi, I was just keeping it real."

Wha - did she - "You just... _burned_ me," I gape.

Naminé smiles prettily. Which reminds me of that saying: that roses have thorns. "Did I? Like I said, just keeping it real."

My goodness. I'm too surprised to do much more than choke out a laugh. "Did you - I - I'm rubbing off of you." I wrap my arms around her, petting her hair. "I'm so proud."

"Kairi!"

"I knew you've always had it in you."

" _Kairi._ "

I've already made it a mission in life to embarrass Naminé as much as I can, so I ignore her squeaks of protest. Hey, someone's gotta ruffle her feathers once in awhile to remind us all she's human just like us.

"You're finally embracing your inner sass queen."

" _Kairi!_ "

I'm an incoherent laughing mess by now, but Naminé looks as composed as ever. She calmly crosses a leg over the other, using her hands to smooth out the wrinkles of her skirt. I just realize how tasteful her outfit is, especially compared to my t-shirt and jeans combo. Also, her on point makeup. And on point brows. On point life, even.

Yeah, my best friend's a little too perfect sometimes.

* * *

 **A/N: Idk about this chapter. I was rereading what I wrote and realized I've been relying too much on exposition to depict Kairi's relationships. Meaning I just sorta dropped the fact that Naminé was Kairi's bestie and expected you, the reader, to take it at face value. Hopefully with this chapter, you can kinda see how these two became and are friends. And #femalefriendship, so why not?**

 **Plus, this chapter exists to help my story pass the Bechdel test. Never realized how hard it was till I started writing and all Kairi & Naminé talked about were boys.**

 **Tell me what you think about Naminé! I wanted her to be more than just a shy wallflower (also cause that's a little boring to write about), but let me know if you think she's too OOC.**

 **This chapter's a little dialogue-heavy and low on action, so I'll try to switch things up next chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter FIVE**

Proposal for an Allowance Increase \- _for Mom & Dad_

\- Car insurance went up, all cause I dented the bumper...it's just like a cute dimple y'know?  
\- I'm spending more mostly on school-related stuff, like project supplies and field trips  
\- I'm a growing teenager and hungry all the time  
\- Inflation?

* * *

I'm dozing off in the middle of homeroom when a loud voice catches my attention.

"Good MORNING, Class 11-A!" a cheery voice exclaims, 50 decibels too high for me on a Wednesday morning. Even Naminé knows to leave me alone on hump day - I'm a grumpy camper, especially when I'm late for school and don't have time to grab coffee.

The voice persists long enough for me to gather the remains of my wits and pay half-attention. I recognize the brunette at the front of the room: Olette, our grade's student council representative. Everyone says she's our grade's future valedictorian. Even Selphie, with all her ambition, can't hold a candle to Olette's determination to succeed.

"...so I pitched the idea to our president, who said - she said that...everyone, could I have your attention for just 5 more minutes? Hey. Hey!"

" _You guys shut up!_ "

The latter declaration works quite effectively. All eyes turn towards Olette's companion, a guy with gelled blond hair and a scowl etched on his face.

"Show some respect, will ya?" he growls with arms crossed.

On his side, Olette whacks him lightly and whispers something under her breath. The guy grumbles something back and then stomps towards the door to wait for her there.

Olette summons a bright smile and turns back to us. "Sorry about that. But yeah, I just need a few more minutes of your time! Student Council is really excited to announce our first ever class Assassin game! Does anyone know how Assassin works?"

About half a dozen people raise their hands. Olette looks enthused. "Great! For those who don't, it's very simple! Everyone's gonna get a water gun like this." She raises her hand to show us a pocket-sized water gun. "If you hit someone with water, they're out. Your goal is to be the last high school class standing. But here's the catch: each class will elect a representative. If this representative is eliminated, then your entire class is automatically out. Likewise, if you eliminate another class' rep, then that entire class is out. Outside your class, no one will know who your rep is, and it's to your advantage to keep it that way. Does that make sense?"

The audible chatter around me suggests people are quite excited about the game. To be honest, Olette's words are working up my competitiveness as well. "Any questions?" she asks.

"What's the prize?"

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Olette beams. "Everyone in the winning class gets a $10 coupon for Comet Café!"

"Lame."

"Only $10? That's like 1 slice of cake."

"That's $10 more than you have right now," the grouchy boy points out. Everyone quiets a little when he speaks, but when he doesn't say anything else, the chitchat resumes.

"When does the game begin?" someone asks.

"Good question! The game starts when the first bell rings next Monday! We're still finalizing the details with school admin - which reminds me. You're only allowed to use your water guns outside of school buildings. And on campus. We don't wanna hear about people ambushing people outside their houses. Cause yes, my friend said that's happened before in one of the games he's played."

"Dude, I was totally gonna do that!"

"Stalker alert."

"Any other questions?" Olette prompts above the steadily increasing noise. "If not, then you guys can talk about who you wanna elect as class rep! Make sure someone tells me by the end of this week. If anyone forgot, I'm Olette from Class 11-B. Don't worry - I won't be participating in this game cause I'm handling logistics. And I promise I'll be a fair judge. Good luck, 11-A!" With a cheery wave and thanking our homeroom teacher for the time, Olette skips out of the room with her partner in tow.

Once the door shuts, our class bursts into excited chatter about who should be class rep.

"Man, you should do it!"

"No way, I don't wanna be responsible for everyone!"

"Who's good at dodging stuff?"

"Hey, when we played dodgeball in P.E., weren't you the last one standing?"

"Huh? Dude, that was pure luck."

"I nominate Naminé!" I exclaim.

"Kairi!" Naminé exclaims. "I've never played this game before!"

"C'mon! If you're trying out for the play, you gotta practice being in the spotlight. " Plus, I like to make things hard for her. What are best friends for? I turn back towards my classmates. "She's tiny so she'll be hard to spot. And hit."

"That's true…" someone says.

"Dude, she's like half your size."

"Are you even 5 feet, Naminé?"

"I - I'm 5'1"!" Naminé squeaks defiantly, which makes the whole class laugh.

"Since we can't decide on anyone else…"

"What about you, Kairi?"

I blink, staring at my nominator. "I - I don't wanna do it, Sora."

"Never knew you'd back down from a challenge."

My first instinct is to rise to the goading...until I realize his words for what they are. And then I see his presumptuous look and expectant smirk and I just want to prove him wrong. Cause he doesn't know me, no he _doesn't_.

I resume pitching Naminé to my classmates. "The other classes will probably expect someone who's athletic and runs fast. They won't expect Naminé."

"That's a good point…"

"Yeah, I actually forgot she was in our class."

"All in favor of Naminé?"

More than half the people raise their hands, so Naminé's smoothly elected as our class representative. The bell then rings, so we can't talk much longer, but we're all pretty excited.

"I still think this is a bad idea..." Naminé worries aloud.

"Oh quit dragging your feet. You're like the perfect princess for everyone in the class to rally around and protect."

My eyes catch Sora's from across the room so I head towards his desk as he's packing his stuff. "Why'd you nominate me, huh?" I ask.

"Why'd you nominate Naminé?" Sora returns.

"I - like I said, she's a good candidate. No one will suspect she's our class's rep."

"Well I thought you'd be a good candidate too," Sora answers breezily. "Since you're on the track team. You're probably our fastest runner."

"You just wanted to embarrass me in front of the whole class, didn't you?"

Sora shrugs - innocently to a bystander, perhaps, but not to me. "Did I embarrass you?" he asks.

I at least remember to keep my growl low and guttural so only he hears it.

When I don't speak up, he keeps talking. "I just want the best for the class, Kairi. Don't think too much - God knows half the time you're thinking about food -"

"Like you don't think with your stomach!"

"Well - I didn't say I didn't!"

"You'd better crank up the conditioning, cause all that extra weight's gonna slow you down on the field."

"Wha - what do you know, huh? Season doesn't start till spring anyways, and you're not actually team manager."

"You know, if I were, I'd make you guys join cross country practices just to get in shape for season. You can't start over Christmas break, that's not enough time."

"Kairi…" Sora groans. "I still wanna sleep in on the weekends."

"Actually, I've wanted to say hi to Coach Fair for awhile, so maybe I'll drop by and make the suggestion - "

Something registers in Sora's eyes. His demeanor instantly switches from easygoing to serious. "Kairi _,_ " he growls through grit teeth. Widened eyes looked straight into mine. "Don't. You. Dare."

"...guys can thank me in the future…"

" _Kairi_ , I swear to god - "

I'm smiling so widely my cheek muscles are cramping up. "Bye, Sora!"

" _Kairi_ , _no_!"

He makes a feeble grab at me, but I'm more nimble than he gives me credit for. Maneuvering between the desks and chairs, it's not hard to shake off Sora as I rush towards my next class. I hear his loud, frustrated groan, to which I respond with lighthearted laughter. That boy's too easy to tease.

* * *

"BAM!"

" _Oh my god!_ "

I twirl around from my locker to look at Tidus, playfully holding out a toy water gun. Aimed at me. Dripping water.

"What the - _shit_ , Tidus, my English paper's in there!"

I scramble to unzip my backpack and salvage my assignment worth _20% of my grade._ Yeah, if Tidus just screwed me over...then he's fucking screwed.

"Oh thank god," I breath, realizing I'd smartly tucked the papers in a plastic folder. Actually not much water got in my bag...but there is a noticeable wet stain on it now. I glare at Tidus. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Getting ready for the Assassin game next week!" he chirps. "And you obviously aren't."

"You almost cost me my English grade!" I exclaim, shoving my folder in his face. Can he be any more inconsiderate?

"What? S'okay, you got a folder," Tidus says.

"And what if I didn't?"

"But you did."

"Ugh." I grab my textbook for next period from my locker and shut it close. "You're way too excited for this game. It's just to promote school spirit. Or whatever."

"I've always wanted to have a water gun fight in school!" Tidus exclaims. He raises his water gun once more, to which I instinctively raise my hands and recoil. He chuckles, pointing it upwards and shooting. "I used up all my ammo. This thing can only shoot once at a time."

I roll my eyes, letting my mind fall back to a state of security. "Stop freaking me out, Tidus. Do you really want the Comet coupons that much?"

"C'mon, Kai, stop being such a bore. You're still a junior, so you still have time, but I'm a senior and I just wanna enjoy high school before it ends." I fall quiet, listening to what sounds like some pretty serious stuff. "You know, in less than a year...all my friends are gonna be gone. I'm gonna be somewhere new, trying to make friends all over again, and honestly that scares the hell out of me." He abruptly stops, as if he's just as surprised by what he said as I am.

I didn't know Tidus thinks about stuff like this. He's always seemed like the _carpe diem_ , live-in-the-present sort of person. I guess change scares everyone.

"I also like being top dog of the pack," he adds.

Of course. I roll my eyes. "That's so immature."

"Just being honest."

Our conversation's at a nice pause for us to soak in our words, when a third figure interrupts.

"You gotta stop her, Tidus."

"Whoa - Sora?" Tidus and I turn towards the additional party in our conversation. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"She," Sora says, glaring at me, "wants to freaking make us _condition_ for soccer."

I chuckle, recalling our earlier conversation. Tidus barely blinks before responding. "What? Of course we have to condition, man. You slacking already?"

"Dude, that's not what I mean! She wants us to start, like, ASAP!"

"Well, the earlier the better."

Sora, slack-jawed, stares at both of us.

"Yeah! That's exactly what I said!" I exclaim, raising a hand. Tidus gives me a high-five, and for a moment, all feels right. I relish the familiar feeling of Tidus being on my side.

"Man, if you're gonna slack off, let someone actually focused take your spot," Tidus scolds. "All the second-stringers want more playing time."

"Dude, that's not it!" Sora throws his hands up in the air out of frustration. "She - she said she wants us to condition with the cross-country team!"

Tidus blinks, turning towards me this time. "What?"

"Yeah," I remark nonchalantly. "I was gonna say hi to Coach Fair and suggest you guys could run with us. Our practices aren't too intense - "

"Like hell!" Tidus exclaims. "Hey, I still remember you dragged me to one of your 'lighter workouts' last year cause you said it'd be good for me - "

I throw my head back laughing at the memory. Tidus could barely walk straight for a week after that practice. And it really wasn't even particularly intense! He needs to suck it up and stop whining so much.

"Wait, you want us to practice with the cross-country team, like...now?" Tidus exclaims.

"That's what she's trying to do!" Sora pipes in. "Your crazy cousin's gonna kill us all!"

"Hey, hey!" I exclaim. "Who's crazy? I'm not crazy! This _genius_ idea - "

" _Shit_ , Kairi, I didn't think you meant, like, now-now," Tidus says.

"What? Don't you guys wanna win championships this year?"

"That's not gonna happen if we're too tired to run on the field," Sora points out. "Dude, see, you gotta stop her. You know Coach Fair's lazy. He's gonna jump at the chance to make us train harder without doing any work himself."

"Kairi." Tidus turns towards me with a grin. "Kairi...you wouldn't."

"Oh, but I _would_. It's all for your own good, Tidus."

"Kairi," he repeats. If I hadn't known him since forever, I would've missed the sense of urgency creeping into his tone. But I hear it, and knowing I have the upperhand makes me smirk. "Don't do it."

"I think I should."

"Kairi." Tidus then uses a stern voice. "You can't."

Oh, so he's going with the seniority card? "You can't stop me."

"Dude, don't provoke her!" Sora exclaims. "Or she's actually gonna do it!"

"Yeah, cause I think I should!" I snap. Like usual, Sora gets on my nerves just like that.

"No, no, Kairi, you shouldn't," Tidus hastily interrupts. "We're just gonna drag you guys down...look, if you really wanna, I'll go talk to Coach with you. I mean, I know you're just looking out for us in your own way."

"...never mind," I say, deciding to retreat from the conversation. Somehow, Tidus being all rational and understanding strikes the wrong nerve. I'm sort of at a loss as to how to react.

"Thank goodness," Sora murmurs under his breath.

See, normally I'd make a snarky remark about how self-centered and lazy he is, but I'm too thrown off by everything to even think of what to say. Great.

"Hey, what's that?" Sora breaks the silence with a curious question, pointing at Tidus' hand.

Tidus blinks, raising the water gun. "Oh! Practicing for the Assassin game next week!" He takes aim at Sora, who instantly cowers. Tidus laughs, showing Sora the water gun's empty.

"Jeez, you scared me," Sora grumbles.

"You're not ready for Assassin either! Seriously. What if you both die on day 1?"

"I mean, the game hasn't actually started yet," I point out.

"That's what you think. You gotta be on your guard!" Tidus points out. He looks at Sora and me. "Are you guys gonna let down your whole class like that? What if you were rep and I just eliminated you?"

"Well, good thing we aren't - " The words fall out of my mouth before I realize what I'm saying. Or rather, what Tidus is doing. I don't stop myself soon enough, and a stupid smirk splits across Tidus' dumb face. "Wait, you're not allowed to - "

" _Yuna! It's not Sora or Kairi!_ " Tidus exclaims as he dashes off towards the senior homerooms. Wordlessly, I stare at his retreating figure.

"I - did he - he just…" I can't even formulate sentences properly as I weakly raise a hand to point in Tidus' direction. Somehow, amidst everything that'd just happened...Tidus managed to pull one over me.

Sora snorts. "I think he's taking this game a bit too seriously."

How? How am I messing up _everything_ these days?

"It's no big deal," Sora continues.

"What do you mean no big deal?" I snap.

"Whoa. Chill, Kairi. I mean, it's not like he figured out your deep dark secret or something - "

"Look, _Sora_." I turn towards his direction with narrowed eyes. I think I'm making him nervous, cause his eyes widen and his Adam's apple bobs as he gulps. Yeah, he should be scared.

Cause _shit just got real._

* * *

 **A/N: No action that I promised, but I've laid the foundation. Look forward to the Assassin game in the next chapter! Strategizing, teamwork, and shipping moments galore.**

 **Stay tuned.**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter SIX

The Ultimate Assassin Strategy \- _by Captain Kairi_ **& Sora **_(you're Deputy, Sora, I told you)_ **who put you in charge?** _fine_ _you're demoted to third-in-command_. **everyone,** **we have ourselves a dictator**

 _\- Identify reps_ **so** **we're gonna need spies** _..._ **or maybe turn the weak links of the other classes?** _SPY KAI I like the sound of that  
\- Ambush reps _**we might need special training for stealth and teamwork** _lead on Deputy_ **I thought I was demoted** _JUST DO WHAT I SAY  
\- BE THE ULTIMATE CLASS_ **yasssss let's do this**

* * *

"...is everyone here?" I ask in my most solemn voice. Within the dark confines of the classroom, doors closed and curtains drawn, I can barely make out the silhouettes of my classmates.

"Sir, yessir!" someone barks back.

"I like that energy. Deputy, how are the casualties looking?" I expectantly turn towards our class' best soccer player, the only person I can trust being my second-in-command.

An amused smile threatens to split across his face. But he manages to keep his cool and responds evenly, "3 this morning."

"...3?!" I shriek, slamming a hand down on my desk. I look around the class - I mean, troops. "How are we down 3 good men already?"

"3 women, actually," one of the girls chimes in. She pauses for a moment, as if regretting speaking, but hey, I'm not a leader who can't take feedback.

"3 good women," I repeat, nodding my head in her direction. "We're all in this together, men! And women! We can't win without each other. Mark my words, we _will_ be the last class standing! Who's with me?"

"Woohoo!" "Yeah!" "Those coupons better be worth all this…"

The class (largely) bursts into cheers, and I relish in the camaraderie in this room.

"Wait, where's Naminé?" Sora asks.

My eyes widen. How is Naminé not here yet? I specifically told everyone to get to class 5 minutes early to discuss strategy. And most importantly...she's our class' rep! She can't just be...missing!

"Everyone, standby!" I exclaim before dashing out the door.

Where is that girl? I know these halls like the back of my hand, so unless she's hiding, I'll find her soon enough. Plus, the bell's about to ring and Naminé's never late. It's strange enough that she's late to our strategizing meeting. Which only gives me a bad feeling that something's happened…!

I catch familiar blonde hair just before she rounds a corner, so with the widest steps I can take without being caught for running in the halls, I quickly catch up to her.

"Naminé!"

Sure enough, my bestie's here, seemingly safe and sound without any wet marks on her floral dress. "Oh, Kairi. Good morning!" she greets pleasantly.

She's so oblivious - what if she'd gotten caught? - and belatedly, I realize she's with someone. Someone I know.

I narrow my eyes suspiciously. "Roxas," I level my greeting.

The blond mimics my suspicious countenance. "Kairi," he returns.

I latch onto Naminé, dragging her aside and whispering, "What are you doing with _him_?"

"I can hear you, you know," Roxas says exasperatedly. And rudely. He's never been the friendliest person, if you know what I mean.

"He's _the enemy_!" I hiss at Naminé, wondering if my at times oblivious friend realizes the situation she's in.

" _I can still hear you_ ," Roxas says.

Naminé chuckles. "Roxas wouldn't do anything like that. We were just chatting before class starts."

My suspicious glare never leaves Roxas' direction. To this day, I'm surprised sweet-as-an-angel Naminé is friends with a jerk like him. Or maybe her caring heart is precisely how they're friends. I don't know Roxas all that well, considering he tends to keep to himself. In fact, most of what I know is from Naminé, who of course only says nice things. Like how he's real patient, he's unassuming, and…

Okay, listing Roxas' good qualities is weird, so I'mma stop.

"C'mon, the class is waiting for you," I tug discreetly on Naminé's sleeve. "I told you to come 5 minutes early today to discuss Assassin strategy."

Naminé's eyes widen. "...oh my gosh, I'm so sorry Kairi! I completely forgot…"

"You're taking this game way too seriously," Roxas mocks.

Did I or did I not mention: rudeeeee?

"You're taking life way too seriously," I respond. And just like that, I render Roxas speechless. Yeah, so beat it!

Before I can gloat some more, Naminé chimes in. "I'll see you later, Roxas," she says.

Roxas shifts his eyes over to her and then shoves his hands into his pockets. "See you, Naminé." And - and _without even acknowledging my existence_ , he just walks off!

"Yeah, 'goodbye, Kairi!' Oh, Roxas, goodbye too!" I holler at him, but his lack of response just annoys me further. I turn towards Naminé. "Seriously. What's up with him? And don't say he's just in a bad mood...cause then he's always in a bad mood."

Naminé blushes as she closes her mouth and smiles sweetly. Ah, so this is how she wins over the hearts of our school's male population. Fine, fine, I yield as well. "Let's go," I say, dragging her to homeroom before the tardy bell rings.

Unfortunately, by the time we're back, our homeroom teacher's commandeered control. We sit through a few announcements and his reminder to not get too into "a silly game" and to remember his "history class still has an essay due tomorrow."

Thanks for being a party pooper, sir.

"Men!" I regain power once the homeroom teacher steps away from the podium. "We haven't done much reconnaissance, so our spies have a lot of work to do! Turn your friends, figure out the weakest links...the ends justify the means, people! Ambush squad, I trust my deputy has trained you well." I send an appreciative nod in Sora's direction, and he smirks. "So, ARE YOU GUYS WITH ME?"

"Whoopee!" "Yeah, let's do this!" "I didn't sign up for this…"

"And...where do you think you're going?" I ask, stopping Naminé as she's rising to her feet. She blinks innocently while she gathers her belongings.

"Um, my next class?"

"Oh no you don't!" I latch onto her wrist to stop her from leaving. "You're our rep, so you need protective detail!"

"...oh, right. So, you're gonna walk me to class?"

"I'm flattered you think so highly of me, but since you're so important, I didn't want to take any chances."

"You're stuck with me for the rest of the week, Naminé." Sora makes a timely appearance with a goofy smile and his arms crossed over his chest. All he's doing is showing off his scrawny biceps. Is he taking even taking his job seriously?

Okay, I need to rein in some of the hostility. I'd come to the conclusion last week that Sora _is_ the best choice as Naminé's bodyguard. I may be quick on my feet, but Sora's got faster reflexes in general. As much as I hate to admit it, he can do a better job keeping Naminé out of trouble than I can.

Anything for the win, amirite?

"O - oh," Naminé stammers, glancing between me and Sora. "Is that...kinda weird?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" I ask.

"I mean - wait, not you!" Naminé exclaims, raising a hand in Sora's direction. "I'm so sorry, I wasn't thinking when I said that. I don't mean you."

Sora laughs easily. "Don't worry, I've been called worse."

"No, I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to call you that…"

"It's okay, Naminé," Sora reassures again. "Wow, and you're friends with Kairi? She, like, never apologizes to people."

"What?!" I interject, cause why's he bringing me up?

"She does!" Naminé insists, glancing at me. I smile - yay, go friendship solidarity. "Maybe just not to you?"

Sora pauses and then chokes on a laugh. "I - ha! You're secretly super sassy, aren'tcha, Naminé?"

"Seconded!" I chime in, directing a smirk at Naminé.

"I - I'm just kidding!" Naminé exclaims. Sora chuckles to assure her he's not offended (when's he ever?) and before I know it, we're all laughing.

"Well, we'd better get going before we're late," Sora announces. "What class do you have, Naminé?"

"Honors calc," she says with a sigh. "Really, Sora, if it's out of your way, you don't have to walk me to the math building - "

"Nah, it's perfect. I have history, so it's in the same direction." He watches Naminé struggling to get all her stuff and reaches out to help hold some things. Wow, it's weird seeing Sora act like...a gentleman?

Pfft. That thought makes me laugh.

Naminé and Sora both turn in my direction. Belatedly, I realize I'd actually laughed aloud. I don't know how to explain the joke to them in 30 seconds so I smile sheepishly and they let it go, resuming polite chit-chat or whatever distant acquaintances do.

Hmm, they get along awfully well for distant acquaintances. Do they actually know each other very well? I don't remember seeing them interact much before...

"Kairi!" a voice chirps. I turn around to face 3 pairs of hopeful, shining eyes. Which reminds me of my role.

Ah, so this is what it feels like to be an inspiring leader.

"Men, and women!" I exclaim, quickly resuming my designated position in this game - I mean, _war_. "Shall we?"

"Yes, we shall!" "I don't really have a choice..." " _Hell yeah_."

The other classes, they won't even know what hit'em.

* * *

It's a bright sunny day in the halls of Tremblay High. An unassuming boy minding his own business strolls down the hall, head ducked and hands tucked in his pockets. To any other bystander, he blends in with the rest of the largely homogenous student population.

But not to the eyes of our heroine, whose sharp eyes and wit have determined this boy may be the key to defeating their enemy Senior Class A once and for all. Thrust into her position at the young age of 17, this kindhearted and fearless leader is determined to repay the people who elected her to lead them.

"But you basically nominated yourself…"

"Shut up, no one asked for your opinion," I snipe.

Ahem. Back to the story.

The heroine does a double-take, raising a hand to halt the movement of her troops. Someone has called out the boy's name. He looks up, and a smile rises to his face. The leader panics - has he stumbled upon reinforcements? Will this mission end before it's even begun?

A rather attractive girl ('smoking hot,' in the words of Soldier #1) heads in his direction, arms extended for a hug. No one in the heroine's troop recognizes her, so they assume she's a citizen of Senior Class A. The two begin speaking with each other, but from their distance, neither the heroine nor her people can hear what they're saying.

"I wanna know who she is! Someone dig up her information!" the heroine exclaims, the anxiety of an unaccounted third party getting to her.

"Yes ma'am!" Soldier #2 says, pulling out her phone and rapidly tapping across the screen. In less than a minute, she has an answer. "Her name's Lulu. She's in Senior Class B, and she plays tennis."

...she's an athlete? B - but…how does she have such nice legs? Is it genetics? Does she never skip leg day? Maybe it's just cause she's tall? Why's the universe so unfair?

"Kai - I mean, Captain," Soldier #2 mumbles, "they're on the move."

Right. "Let's move out!" the heroine exclaims, motioning for her troops to follow after her as they trail behind the couple. "Is it possible that Senior Class A and B have become allies?" the heroine discusses with her troop.

"Man, she _is_ hot," Soldier #1 reiterates.

"Yeah, you said that."

"I'm pretty sure they're just catching up between class or something," Soldier #3 remarks dryly. "Also, class starts in 10 minutes and I need to get to the auditorium on the other side of school."

"We'll be done by then," I promise.

The dissent dies out with some grumbles. Like a true leader, this heroine knows how to handle rebellious members.

The couple ahead remains conveniently distracted by each other's company. Nonetheless, the heroine notes that they're taking a very roundabout path to get through the building. A thought occurs to her - have they noticed their tail? Are her troop's covers as unsuspecting civilians blown?

"We _are_ civilians," Soldier #3 points out. "And we have 8 minutes before I'm out."

"I said, we'll be done by then."

The brief power struggle ends with a subdued sigh. Being a leader is tough.

The heroine returns her attention to the couple - or, actually, couple no more. After another hug, the girl is off, heading back down the halls. A forlorn expression seizes the boy's features, as if he were sending off the love of his life.

But he's like...18. He probably doesn't even know what love is.

Everyone is on high alert when the boy reaches into his pocket to retrieve something - a concealed weapon, perhaps? The newest weapon on the market, the SquirtGun000, is the perfect size to hide away in a pocket. Everyone tenses up as the boy pulls out from his pocket -

His phone. Phew, crisis averted.

As he's completely focused on his handheld device, he mindlessly begins heading towards the door. Quickly, the heroine signals for her troops to take their places. Once everyone's in the right position and the target's officially outside the building, the heroine tiptoes her way towards him, hoping he doesn't hear her shoes squeaking on the linoleum floor.

She exits the building with the boy and raises her hand just as -

"AH!"

" _Dammit!_ " I - uh, the heroine curses when her shot misses. The boy jumps into motion, fleeing for his life. "Plan A, Plan A!" she hollers.

Two soldiers leap out of their ambush positions, trapping the boy effectively between them and their leader. One of them raises a steady arm wielding a handheld weapon.

 _BAM, BAM, BAM -_

"...shit."

"Yes!" I cheer, doing a little victory dance. Raising a hand, I high-five my fellow soldiers, who did a perfect job covering for my small mishap. Teamwork at its finest.

"...what the hell, Kairi? The game literally started like today!"

"Exactly!" I chirp. "Time waits for no one! So sorry, but you're out, Wakka!"

Wakka frowns. "Your cousin will get revenge for me."

"Don't be a sore loser. And tell Tidus to _bring it!_ " I taunt. He's the one who started this war, after all.

Wakka grumbles some more before walking off. Score one for Junior Class A!

I turn towards my ambush squad classmates, but I realize one of them is gone already, the other is on the phone, and the last person's looking at me apologetically, mumbling about having to prepare for a presentation. Before I can say much, everyone's basically gone their own way.

The first bell rings, and I remember I have a quiz next period...I should probably go study.

Alas, as usual, life gets in the way of everything.

* * *

Crap. Crappity-doodle crap.

"Damn, she's fast!" I hear one of my pursuers comment.

"No duh, she's on the track team. She's just a junior though. Stop embarrassing yourself!"

"Man, I got it! She's just...real fast…"

Hell yeah! is what I'd proudly exclaim if I weren't running for my life. Honestly I didn't expect them to come at me while I'm coming out of the lockers after cross-country. It's like almost 6:00 - did they seriously wait 3 hours just to ambush me?

And I thought my class was intense.

"You're not getting anywhere!" one of them hollers from behind, and I risk a glance over my shoulder just as I'm rounding a corner. Wait, why's there only one of 'em? Where'd the other guy go - ?

Aww _shit_.

"Ha! We've been in this school for almost 4 years, so we know this place inside out!" One of them had cut through the building and blocked my way around. I'm so close to getting indoors!

Nervously, I assume a defensive stance, glancing between the two senior guys slowly inching forward on my 2 sides. At least now I know what falling for an ambush feels like - it _sucks_. For the first time...I'm a little worried about this game. I've come so far, only to lose to these 2 idiots?

They're arguing about whose car to drive to the movie theater! Seriously! Can we just get this over with so I can go home?

"...running out of gas, unless you wanna pay for me."

"Hell no, dude, my parents just cut back on allowance cause I failed that English test. I'm broke."

"Man, you always say your allowance is getting cut. You lying, aren'tcha?"

"Why would I lie about that?!"

All of us then hear a loud voice that carries well from a distance. "Duck, Kairi! I got left!"

I react before I even register what I'd heard. My knees hit the ground as I reach into my pocket, pulling out my own water gun. Trusting the voice and leaving my back exposed to one of the seniors, I twist my body and aim at one of their shoes. My shot hits the mark, and after some grumbling, the senior walks off.

My body tenses, awaiting a possible attack from behind, but it never comes. Instead, when I turn around, I see Sora hovering over me with an outstretched hand. My dumb brain lags for awhile, staring at him, then his hand, and back to him. His face contorts with confusion until I accept his help and he pulls me to my feet.

"What happened to you?" he asks with a laugh.

"I - they got me while I was coming out of cross-country!"

"Oh wow. And I thought we were taking this game pretty seriously. School ended hours ago - don't they have some place better to be?"

"Right? That's what I thought!" I chime in my agreement.

It then grows quiet. As if just realizing the chase is over, my legs suddenly feel like jelly and threaten to give way. I would've fallen butt-first onto the ground if I hadn't reached out and...and if Sora didn't help steady me.

"Wow, getting you after practice is low," he says as he rests his hands on my shoulders. Huh. "You good?"

"...what, did you say something?"

A smirk rises to his face. "You zoning out? It's 6:00pm - s'not your bedtime yet."

"Says the one who slept at 8:00pm till middle school."

"Do you know how hard it is to wake up for morning practice?" Sora squawks. "It's torture!"

I smirk. "I know, I know. I did soccer in middle school too, remember?"

"Psh, middle school soccer's nothing. We practiced in the mornings like...every other Wednesday? Coach makes us come in at 5:00am 3 times a week now!"

"Oh, boohoo, a bunch of grown-ass boys can't wake up in the morning!" I mock. "Thank goodness you guys have Coach to whoop your asses into shape, otherwise our team would be embarrassing."

"Ooh, why so harsh? I just saved you."

"I - "

Somehow, in that moment, words fall short. He's right, he did just save me. And I'm trying to act all holier-than-thou because...what? To salvage my ego or something?

"You're either daydreaming about me or gonna crash. I'm going with the latter, so let's get going," Sora jokes.

I'm still sort of on autopilot as I follow behind Sora towards the front gate. So lost in my own thoughts, I keep walking and literally hit Sora's back cause he suddenly came to a halt.

"Oww!" I clutch my nose. "Why'd you stop?"

While steadily inching backwards, he whispers, "One of the guys in our class - one of the spies - said he heard someone from senior class A discussing plans to set up an ambush around this area." On high alert, Sora cautiously regards the open space. I nervously take a step back. "The plan had something to do with the school gate…" he trails off, glancing at the cement walls leading to ivory gates.

It's as if he's psychic. In the next moment, two groups of people launch out from outside the school gates. Oh, hell no - are they serious? I have to run _again_? This game is gonna be the death of me.

"Let's get outta here!" Sora exclaims, adjusting his backpack strap before headings towards the school building. Is he serious? Are _they_ serious? They're gonna trap us in the school overnight? That's seriously overkill.

"...hello?" Sora says.

"What?" I turn towards him, only then realizing he's on the phone. "Wow, seriously? Can't that wait?"

Sora rolls his eyes and mouths who the caller is. "Yeah, uh-huh," he says, returning to his phone call. "I'm eating dinner at home, I'm just gonna be back late. Yeah, don't wait up. Bye Mom."

"Such a momma's boy," I tease, which makes Sora frown a little.

"Honor thy father and mother," he returns. "And hey, you're one to talk when your parents - oh, _what?_ Are you serious?"

I come to an abrupt stop right behind Sora. Peering over his shoulder, I stare down the very last person I thought I'd see.

But in hindsight...of course only _he_ would carry out such an insane plan.

"We meet again. Hikari...and Kairi."

We stare down Tidus, who is blocking our way to the buildings. Meanwhile, the two groups have cornered our back route, so we're effectively trapped. _Dammit_. This is hell of a plan. Did Tidus really come up with this? And wait a sec...

"Tidus, aren't you supposed to be home helping your mom with the groceries today?"

Tidus momentarily falters. "...oh shit! Whatever, she should've known better than to count on me."

"...did he just call himself unreliable?" Sora asks.

"Yeah," I say, "he disses himself sometimes. Usually when it involves his mom."

"Ha! So he's a momma's boy too?"

"Of course. How do you think I could tell you're also one?"

" _Anyways_!" Tidus exclaims, bringing the attention back to him. "My dear fallen comrade Wakka told me of your treachery. You're going down today, Kairi O'Hara. Just surrender! It'll make things easier for everyone."

A part of me considers the alluring temptation. Cause seriously. I'm dead exhausted, and this game is both mentally and physically draining. Whenever I'm running to the next building in between classes, I'm way too paranoid for anyone's good. Maybe it'll be easier to just take a shot and be done with all this…

But then I see Sora, his eyes furtively darting around trying to find a way out. He hasn't given up yet. And I remember my entire class, working hard with them to strategize and spying and ambushing...they're tired too. How can I give up just cause I'm tired?

"I'd never surrender," I exclaim. "People have given their time and energy for us to win, and I won't disrespect them or our cause. I'm not gonna give up just cause it's easy. This is bigger than just me - this is a cause my class has devoted itself to. I won't give in."

Will you look at my improv eloquence? Never knew I'm a natural at public speaking.

"...the fuck is she talking about?"

"What the hell? What cause?"

"Can we just eliminate her already? I'm starving, Tidus."

Way to rain on my parade. I guess haters gon' hate.

"You've been a worthy opponent, Kairi O'Hara," Tidus acknowledges with a nod, reaching for his water gun. "But today...this is the end."

He raises his arm, and I get to stare death in the face. Despite my bravado, I can't deny that maybe...this is the end. I feel like after rallying them together and basically forcing them to participate (yeah, I realize what I'm doing), I'm letting down my classmates. Hey, I tried! I really did! Well, I mean, I probably should've tried harder, but...what am I supposed to do now?

"...sorry," I mumble under my breath. I'm not even sure who I'm apologizing to.

I try to be brave and face death head-on, but instinctively, I close my eyes, bracing myself for an imminent attack.

* * *

 **A/N: I'm still here guys! Yeah, I know I'm 1 chapter behind on my schedule. Got caught up in some Korean melodramas and midterms stress and, y'know, _life_. Ugh. Besides being busy, I also wasn't in the mood to write from some perky high schooler's POV. Again, it's hard to maintain Kairi's POV. **

**I had some fun with the Kairi's third-person narration (sort of) in the middle there - let me know what you think about it? I was actually inspired** **by** Dhustura's **review that Kairi's grip on reality is "pretty loose." Of course, that's what makes things interesting to read and write.**

 **And so, the game continues. I suck at writing cliffhangers, but gotta up the tension somehow.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter SEVEN**

Things I'm afraid of (and rightly so)

\- Mom, when she's mad  
\- Peanut butter sticking on the roof of my mouth - _haha I'm just kidding...but I recently found out this is actually a thing and cracked up for a good 10 minutes_  
\- Trypophobia, and _don't do what Sora did when he found out and gave me a lotus seed pod for Christmas  
_ \- Breaking a bone: that shit seriously hurts  
\- Losing...in more ways than one

* * *

A few seconds after I shut my eyes, something wet strikes my ribcage.

...well.

And that's that. Good game, everyone. Time to head home, cause I'm _starving_ , and dinner better be good today.

Yeah, sorry if my life's sorta anticlimactic. But how dramatic do you think a teenage girl's life is gonna be?

As I open my eyes, I call out to Tidus, "Hey, can you give me a ride back - "

...wait, what?

"What are you doing, Kairi?" Before I can say anything, a hand latches onto my arm and tugs - _hard_. In fact, I almost fall head-first into the dirt, if I hadn't collided straight into Sora's freaking body.

"What the hell?" I shriek, pushing myself away from Sora - personal bubble, anyone? "What're you - _wha -_?"

Sora doesn't give me a chance to talk before he grabs my wrist and pulls me past a shell-shocked Tidus. Why's he frozen in place? Why's he gazing off at the far distance? Is he gonne give me a ride home, or -

"ARGH!" Tidus suddenly growls. By now he's behind us, so I turn around to see what's up. Only then do I see a wet mark on his clothes, which means...he's out?

"Nice shot, Naminé!" Sora calls out.

Wait, what?

(That seems to be all I can say now.)

Someone chuckles lightly, and I turn towards the bushes on the side to see...Namine? Wait, wha -

Okay, seriously. I've got to start doing better.

"Wha - what are you doing here?" I ask, the corner of my mouth twitching upward. Hey, all I know is I'm happy to see my friend! Somewhat hesitantly, I wobble towards her and envelope her in a hug. Naminé pats my back but then hastily slips out of my embrace.

"Sorry, Kairi!" she says with a grin. "Let's get to somewhere safe first. The rest of Tidus' class is still out there."

I then remember the hoard of people who'd cornered us previously. "Right, where are they?"

"Let's go, Kairi!" Sora exclaims, ushering me and Naminé towards the entrance of the school building.

Once we get inside, I can finally catch my breath. Leaning on the wall, my back slides down until my ass hits the ground.

"...fuck, I'm exhausted," I complain, scratching my stomach. I then realize, "Hey, I got hit!" I exclaim, pointing at the wet patch on my shirt.

"Well, technically I got him out first, so it doesn't count," Naminé reasons.

"What _are_ you doing here?" I ask. "I'm sooooo confused...and I'm so fucking tired," I groan, holding my head in my hands.

"I was finishing up a yearbook page due tomorrow," Naminé says. "Then, Sora texted me where you guys were." She holds up her phone, showing me his message.

 _NW BLUE_

"What? What's that mean?" I ask.

"Oh, it means northwest building entrance, and you're surrounded," Naminé explains, followed by a laugh. "Sora and I were talking about how to call for backup if you were in trouble, cause you'd want the text to be as short as possible." She playfully smacks Sora on the arm. "See, I told you codes would come in handy!"

"I didn't say they wouldn't! We just spent a super long time memorizing them."

"But it paid off," Naminé concludes, glancing at her phone and then sneaking a peek out of the window. "Okay, I rounded up everyone in our class still on campus to fight off Tidus' class, but one of them just texted me and said they all got eliminated. According to their estimates, there are at least 3 more people out there."

"So it's 1-on-1. We can do that," I say, getting back into the groove of the game.

"No, we can't," Sora argues. "Naminé's our rep, remember? We can't just send her out and risk losing her."

"Thanks for trusting me, Sora," Naminé quips with a small grin.

"Wha - I...I mean - "

"Yeah, Sora, Naminé can manage herself. Hell, she even got Tidus out!" Just remembering the fact, I raise a hand in her direction to ask for a high-five. She obliges. "I owe you one!"

Naminé giggles. "I accept payment in vanilla lattes. But Sora's right - I probably shouldn't be running about as class rep. I don't wanna let the whole class down."

"So we," here Sora looks at me, "are gonna have to take care of things."

"Take care of what?" I ask, still a beat slower than everyone else.

Sora and Naminé exchange a smirk. I don't like this feeling of Sora and my bestie teaming up without me. Is anyone gonna fill me in on the situation?

"So," Sora begins, "here's the plan…"

* * *

Remind me when Naminé got so badass?

So, despite being the bait for our entire operation, she calmly strolls outside on school grounds as if she doesn't have a worry in the world. The perfect poker face, the perfect unsuspecting angelic look...and I see the boys have taken the bait: hook, line, and sinker.

"Hey, Naminé!" one of them calls out.

Naminé blinks and turns around. Her hair falls over a shoulder, and she tucks a stray strand behind her ear. I notice the boys momentarily falter.

I take notes like the good student (ha!) I am.

"Yes?" she asks, her voice reaching an impossibly high pitch. How does she make everything look so easy?

"Are you still in the game, Naminé?" one of them asks.

Naminé laughs girlishly - more note-taking. "What game are you talking about?"

"The Assassin game. For student council," he says, taking the chance to show-off by twirling a water gun in his hands. "Or are you out already?"

"Oh! Well, I haven't really thought about the game that much, to be honest." She laughs airily with a hand raised to her mouth, and I'm running out of brainspace to take more notes.

"...who are you texting?" Sora asks from my side. We're both ducked inside the school building, prepared to ambush on-call.

"Why do you care?" I return, rapidly typing into my Notes app. When I look up at him, I realize he's peering over my shoulder to read what I'm writing.

"...what the heck are you doing?" he says, not even trying to rein in the judgmental tone.

"None of your business, Sora," I say as I put my phone away.

"It literally says, 'How to flirt.'" Sora laughs. "Why are you thinking about that now?"

"I said, Sora, mind your own goddamn business."

Gosh, he can be so annoying. Hasn't he heard of something called privacy?

"That first thing makes no sense," he randomly says.

"Huh?"

"'Toss hair over shoulder'?" he recites. "What're you, filming a shampoo commercial?"

"Well, how do you - well, I mean - "

"Plus, s'not like your hair's long enough," he points out astutely.

Dammit. What's with him being Mr. Smarty Pants today?

"You shouldn't have to try to flirt - it should just come naturally, right?"

"And how's that been working out for you?" I ask, making a not-so-subtle jab at his relationship status. Or lack thereof.

Sora frowns, crossing his arms and looking at me. "I'm 17 - I don't need to be in a relationship."

"Exactly. You're already 17. There are some people around the world who are married by now."

"We're not those people. And we don't have to be."

...dammit how is it that I'm losing even more frequently to Sora these days? How did we even get to this topic anyways? I was just making fun of him not having a girlfriend!

Okay, so maybe I shouldn't have made fun of him?

"...but I think the most important thing is to remember that RED SOCKS, and I mean RED colored ones only, can make all the difference…"

Namine's voice distracts us whatever we were talking about. Quickly, we put our game faces on - cause that's at least one thing we can agree on: to win this thing. I double-check that my water gun's loaded and crawl towards the entrance so they don't see us through the windows. I hold my breath as Sora and I rest our hands on the door. He raises his hand with 3 fingers raised and mouths: 3...2...1…

"...so sorry, Naminé, but I'm gonna have to - agh!"

"Yeah, so beat it!" I exclaim, wielding my gun proudly. The guy I'd hit - smack middle of his chest, may I add - grumbles a little before stalking off. I tune in to Sora's battle.

"...shit. This is a new shirt."

"Oh. Sorry, man. 'S just water though. Should dry pretty quickly."

"True. Hey, good shot, Sora."

"Thanks, man. Good game."

And that's both of them! I turn towards Naminé with a beaming, expectant smile. Something in the back of mind keeps probing at my consciousness, like I'm forgetting something...but I can't figure it out. We took out both those guys…

Both = two guys…

"Oh, _shit_. Naminé!" I shriek, eying the last person creeping up on her from around the corner. How in the world did we forget that there are 3 guys lurking out here?

I raise my gun to aim at him, but because I'd just shot that other guy, I'm out of ammo. Frickity _frick_.

Sora's too far away to be useful, plus his gun's probably empty too.

I leap towards Naminé just in time before the guy raises his hand to aim his gun at her. Grabbing onto her shoulders, I twirl her around, placing myself between her and the attacker. And so, I close my eyes, embracing myself for impact once more.

...when 10 seconds of anticlimactic silence pass, I slowly open my eyes and look at Naminé.

A small grin hangs on her face. "You okay, Kairi?" she asks.

I blink, still a little confused. I'd almost gotten out twice today...but I haven't? I turn around to look at the guy who was trying to attack Naminé only to realize he'd turned around and was walking off. Wait a sec, why's his right shoe leaving wet footprints on the concrete…?

I turn towards Naminé, smiling sweetly and raising a dainty hand holding her water gun, dripping wet. "I found out I'm a pretty good shot!" she chirps.

...oh wow. Of course, how'd I forget Naminé has a weapon too? This game's just throwing me off _my_ game.

A deluge of emotions strike me, and I'm a little overwhelmed. So...this is it, right? Finally? We've...won?

I'm still wrapping my mind around that fact, since I've had too many false finishes today.

Sora comes over, looking at me and Naminé worriedly. "Are you guys alright?" he asks, slightly out of breath.

My brain's still doing its wrapping thing, so Naminé answers. "Yup, no worries. I managed to get him out before he could shoot us!"

"Wow, Naminé, secretly a good shot too? What else are you holding out on us?"

"You'll just have to wait and see, won't you?"

Wrapping complete.

"YASSSSS!" I holler into the night sky, pumping both fists into the air. "WE WON! IN YOUR FACE, TIDUS!"

"Oh my goodness!" Naminé shrieks, taking a step away from me. "Kairi, you scared me!"

I chuckle sheepishly. "Sorry...not! My god, I'm just happy it's all _over_! FINALLY! I'm tired, and _starving -_ let's go, I need like ten burgers or something."

"Don't you usually eat healthier during cross-country season?" Naminé asks, adjusting the strap of her bag on her shoulder. "Not that a burger doesn't sound good now."

"Hmm...pasta then? Yeah, pasta sounds good," I compromise.

"We can go to the Italian place that just opened on Center," Naminé suggests.

"Are you buying?" Sora asks.

"Hey, shouldn't you be buying?" I point out. "You're the only guy here."

"Well that's just sexist. Naminé should pay - her family's loaded."

"Your family's pretty well-off," Naminé points out.

"My parents do well too," I chime in.

"Okay, let's stop comparing families. Why don't we all just pay for our own," Sora says.

We continue our playful bantering as we head towards the school exit. Just as we're about to step out, a voice calls out my name.

"Kairi."

"Huh?" I twirl around, spying Tidus approaching with a scowl on his face. "You!" I exclaim with a raised hand pointing a finger at him.

"Yeah, me. Did you drive today?"

"No. I was gonna ask for a ride home. Why?"

"Agh. I don't wanna take the bus," Tidus complains. "How're you getting back then?"

"Naminé can drop me off. Right?" I pause, turning towards her with an expectant smile.

"Yeah, sure," Naminé agrees readily.

"Is there room in the car for one more?" Tidus asks, groaning as he stretches his back and shifts his backpack around a little.

"I - I guess…?" Naminé says somewhat hesitantly. "We're gonna grab dinner first…"

"You guys?" Tidus says incredulously, giving us a lookover. "You three? I didn't know you guys hung out."

I take a moment to consider Tidus' words. Me, Naminé, and Sora...he's right, we aren't exactly friends. Me and Naminé are BFFs, Naminé and Sora might've spent more time together recently, but Sora and I don't hang out, and definitely not the three of us.

"Hey, we just broke through that ambush you set for us!" Sora exclaims. "That deserves a celebration!"

The mention of beating Tidus brings a smile back to my face and a twitching scowl to his. "Yeah, Tidus, nice try! To be honest, that was a pretty good plan - did you think of it yourself, or - ?!"

"Ah!"

"What the - "

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Tidus bursts into giggles. "Now, who's got the last laugh?"

"Huh?!" Someone...got me. Someone got me with water from behind. I feel the bottom half of my pant leg sticking to my skin. Twirling around, to my surprise, I find…

"High-five, Yuna!" Tidus cheers, skipping past me and raising a hand to the brown-haired girl. Smiling serenely, it's hard to believe she just singlehandedly took me out.

"Frick, cause technically we're still on school grounds!" Sora exclaims. "That was smart, Yuna."

"Thank you, Sora. You're the first one to actually tell me that."

I turn towards my comrades - and oh, frick, the splotch of wet fabric on Naminé's dress means…

"We're all out," Sora concludes for us. He turns towards Tidus. "Was that the plan? To delay us till Yuna got here?"

"My plan, actually," Yuna corrects primly. "My Plan B. Plan A was supposed to work, if Tidus hadn't gone on with the theatrics and just eliminated Kairi…"

"Hey! I was just trying to set up the atmosphere!"

"But I took care of things," Yuna finishes with a smile.

"It was over before we even knew it began," Naminé remarks quietly.

"Sorry, Naminé. But you're the class rep, am I correct?" Yuna says with an expectant smile. The three of us sulk silently, unable to deny what Yuna said. "I'm surprised you were nominated, because I expected Kairi or Sora, but in hindsight, that was a smart move. And you're better at this game than I thought."

"Oh. Thanks, Yuna," Naminé says, mustering a small grin. "I feel like I've let everyone down though."

"There's no way you could've seen Yuna coming!" Tidus boasts. "Hell yeah, that means junior class A is out!"

"That's right!" Yuna exclaims cheerfully. "Sorry," she says, turning back towards us, "but it's senior year and everyone really wants to make it count." She beckons to Tidus. "C'mon, let's go update the rest of them! They're all getting pizza at the plaza!"

"Aww yeah, that's what I'm talking about! We gotta let Wakka know we've taken revenge for him!" Tidus chimes in eagerly. "Never knew you had a life outside of studying, you nerd..."

I stare at Yuna, with her brown hair and heterochromia, as she walks off with my cousin. She stands out in school because of the latter, and the fact that she likes wearing long, old-fashioned dresses. I've never had much of an opinion of her - who knew she'd get so into the game and be a better strategist than me and Sora combined? I thought senioritis, or college applications would be important to her. I guess I don't really know her.

"Oh, Kairi!" Yuna calls out. "By the way, congrats on getting in drama club!"

I blink. Huh? _Oh_ , that's right, Yuna's president! How did I forget that?

"I guess that's good conciliation," Naminé remarks. "Congrats, Kairi."

"Funny. I didn't know you were interested in drama," Sora says.

"What _do_ you know about me, Sora?" I challenge. That at least silences him - ha, yeah, I'm one up him again!

"So...how're we gonna tell everyone we just got the entire class out?" Naminé wonders aloud nervously.

Two pairs of eager eyes turn towards...me.

"Why me?" I complain.

"You're the leader," Sora points out. "I'm just a deputy."

"And I'm just the rep," Naminé adds. "You've taken responsibility for everything up till now - don't give up yet!"

"You guys just don't wanna be the bearer of bad news! What if they shoot the messenger?"

"I'm sure they won't," Naminé reassures in that soothing voice of hers.

"Yeah," Sora agrees, "they'll just blame you for the rest of the school year."

" _Sora_."

"Or at least until the cafeteria serves mac 'n cheese this Friday."

"...I can deal with that."

* * *

 **A/N: Can you tell this chapter was a pain to write?**

 **I think I'm getting a little tired of writing Kairi's POV. At first it was so much fun cause she keeps things exciting and going, but now it's like: can you stop exaggerating everything? I do hope my cynicism hasn't crept (too much) into the text.**

 **I don't know if you can see how Kairi and Sora's relationship is slowly shifting, and Kairi herself is also maturing? Let me know what you think about the character development! Also, let me know if you can't tell a difference at all...  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter EIGHT**

Checklist for Fall Formal

\- Try on the dress Naminé's lending me  
\- Buy a pair of heels that are actually wearable  
\- Check with Naminé our getting ready together plans  
\- Remind Tidus to bring a corsage cause we all know Selphie's got standards  
\- If possible, figure out if Riku's going

* * *

Tidus' class ends up losing to the other senior class ( _yes!_ ).

"...and then the moment we step through the gate, some guy sneaks up on us from inside the guard's house - can you believe it? - and takes out Yuna before I even realize what's happening!"

The guys at the lunch table ooh and ahh at his story, while some laugh at Tidus' incompetency. I fall in the latter category.

"You couldn't even pull off a knight in shining armor moment and take the shot for her?" I ask, reaching for his fries. He shoots me a look but is too busy storytelling to do much more.

"How was I supposed to know he was waiting _in the guard's house_? I could've sworn the coast was clear! Yuna chewed me out for that…"

"Her fault for trusting you," I snipe.

"Why so bitter, Kairi?" Tidus teases. "Still can't get over me and Yuna's genius plan in getting you guys out?"

"...Naminé got you out," I return with a small grin. That silences him for the time being.

"Tidus took out a lot of people in the other senior class," Wakka comes to his defense. "He's just not a good defensive player."

"Makes sense, cause he plays offense on the team," Irvine tosses in.

"Man am I glad we're finally out," Vaan remarks. "Yuna got super into it. And that game got me way too paranoid."

"Same!" I exclaim, recalling the days I spent furtively on the run. "Wasn't good for my heart or blood pressure."

"Why are you sitting with us, Kairi?" Wakka asks randomly.

I narrow my eyes at him. "Well, I didn't know you held grudges, Wakka. It's been a week."

"Wha - I don't - "

"Oh that's right!" Tidus laughs, clapping his hands together ecstatically. "Kairi got Wakka out on the very first day!"

The boys cheer for my accomplishment and jeer at Wakka. I let myself relish the pride and smirk gleefully.

"But seriously, why are you sitting with us?" Vaan asks. "I only ask out of genuine curiosity," he hastily asks.

"We do enjoy the lady's company," Irvine adds.

"Hey," Tidus snaps, "I don't wanna see any of that with my cousin."

"I appreciate the warm welcome, guys," I say, "but is it that hard to believe we're having some cousin-cousin bonding time?"

Actually though, Naminé ditched me for her cooler friends (read: Honors English project partners), so I've had to resort to Tidus as a lunch table buddy. Cause no way am I sitting by myself in this cafeteria.

The guys are quiet in response to my rhetorical question, but it's the awkward kind of quiet, where they're glancing at one another and egging each other to speak. Finally, Vaan breaks the silence.

"But I thought you were mad cause he and - mrgh!"

I can't help jolting back out of shock. Irvine had swiftly dug his elbow into Vaan's ribcage, while Wakka reaches over and basically shoves his hand into Vaan's face. Tidus and I stare on as the other guys laugh nervously.

"...nice weather we're having today!" Wakka says out of nowhere.

"Ah, yes, nothing like a cloudy day to keep you cool and levelheaded so you can focus on school."

"Uh, yeah!" Wakka says. "You got any tests coming up, Tidus?"

Tidus and I may be clueless sometimes, but we're not dumb. My eyes glance over to meet his, and though cousin telepathy doesn't exist, I'm pretty sure we both ask each other: _what the hell are they doing?_

"...Tidus!" a loud voice calls out.

Everyone at the table collectively turns their heads. My stomach flip flops as I recognize the person approaching. It's too late for me to abruptly stand up and leave, so I pull out my trusty phone and stare intently at my phone background: a collage of cute cat pictures (courtesy of Naminé).

"O - oh, hey Selphie," Tidus stammers. "What are you doing here?"

"What do you mean?" Selphie protests. "I need an appointment to see you now?"

"N - no, I didn't mean that…"

Some of the guys can't hold back their laughter, and I let out a quiet snort as well.

I think that's when Selphie notices my presence. "Hey guys," she greets cheerfully, and they chorus their responses, "and hey Kairi, what'cha doing here?"

I feel every fiber of my being burn cause this dreadful moment is _not_ supposed to happen. But very slowly, and very hesitantly, I put my phone away and look up.

"Hey, Selphie. I thought you have class now."

Selphie blinks, pausing only a brief moment before responding. "I got out early cause Mr. Nichols - my math teacher - has an appointment across town at noon." She redirects her attention towards Tidus. "I texted you but you didn't respond," she finishes with an accusatory tone.

On cue, Tidus pulls out his phone and checks his messages. "Oh, shit, sorry Selphie. We had presentations in history so I set my phone on vibrate."

"It's okay. We have like 20 minutes - you wanna grab coffee or something?"

I've reverted to staring at my phone, cause mentally I'm cringing throughout this whole conversation. This is exactly the sort of thing I don't wanna hear my friend and cousin talking about.

"Sounds good," Tidus says, gathering all this trash on his tray.

"If you're busy, it's okay," Selphie begins, but Tidus cuts her off.

"Nah, I'm done eating. Let's go. See you guys later," Tidus says, standing up to leave. I'm counting down their footsteps for when I can raise my head until Selphie calls out my name.

"Kairi?"

I bite down an exasperated sigh, turn towards her direction, and somehow summon a smile. "Yeah?"

"...I heard you got into drama club. Congrats," she says. Then, she leaves before I can say anything.

...the fuck?

What in the world does that mean? How did she even know I auditioned for drama club? Is she... _keeping tabs on me?_ What, is she afraid I'll do something to sabotage her and Tidus' relationship? Who is she to spy on me without my permission? I should be the one who gets to decide who I tell what about my personal life. This is an invasion of privacy!

"See, she's mad," Vaan says from across the table.

" _Shut up, Vaan_ ," Wakka hisses.

"Yeah, you don't tell a girl she looks mad," Irvine says. "Unless she's mad at you and you're acknowledging it."

I turn towards the three guys who suddenly morph into innocent bystanders, glancing at whatever nearest thing has caught their interest (spilled salad dressing on the table for Wakka).

"You guys - I'm fine," I finally say. No need to prolong this awkwardness any longer than necessary.

"She says she's fine!" Vaan insists. "So, are you still upset that they're dating?"

Wakka jumps to his feet. "Vaan, I swear to god…" he begins mumbling while forcefully dragging Vaan away from his seat. I have to say, I'm partially thankful, cause I'm not ready to answer (or think) about Vaan's question.

"...hey, you feel whatever you feel," Irvine finally speaks up. "No need to justify them or anything. Feelings just are."

I take a moment to let Irvine's words sink in. I'm upset that my cousin and friend are dating and they've disturbed the balance of my universe - I don't need a reason, do I? I'm allowed to feel what I feel. He's right...right? I've never pegged Irvine as the thoughtful type.

"...you got that off of tumblr, didn't you?"

Irvine snickers. "Girls usually fall for sentimentality."

"You are such a player."

"Hey! Just being honest!"

* * *

"Whoa. I don't think I've ever been in this auditorium outside of class," I comment, stepping into the spacious room.

"We always hold drama club meetings here," Naminé says, leading the way down the stairs towards the stage up front. "Then we splinter off into committees."

"Did you already apply to switch committees?" I ask.

Naminé smiles. "I'm still gonna be on the set design team for the club. We haven't started working on the year-end play yet cause we were busy interviewing new members. I hope you join my team, Kairi!"

"Of course! I joined drama club to hang out with you!"

We approach the front of the room and take seats in the second row. Within minutes, the lights dim down and everyone focuses on the stage.

"Welcome, everyone!" a voice announces through the intercom system. "We're so happy to see you all back for another school year! For those of you who don't know - and shame on you if you don't - my name is Yuna, and I'm your president and director of drama club!"

Suddenly, a spotlight shines down on center stage, where Yuna stands with a beaming smile holding a mic to her mouth. We burst into applause, and she takes a few dramatic bows.

"Thank you, thank you. Now, I know it's the very first meeting of the school year with new and returning members, so we wanted to break the ice with a classic drama club game!"

"It's charades," Naminé whispers. "It's like a tradition - we always start off the year with this."

"Oh, that sounds fun!"

"Just a heads up, some of the officers can get _really_ into it…"

" - none other than... _charades!_ " Yuna announces. "We've split you into teams, so please listen up for your assignments! On my left, we have…"

I end up on Naminé's team - thank goodness - so I don't have to awkwardly dwell in the corner by myself. Cause I don't really know anyone besides her in this club.

"Alright, who's gonna start on this team?" Yuna asks, gesturing towards our tesideam seated on the right. When no one makes a sound, our club treasurer Rikku volunteers as tribute.

"...oh my _god!"_ she exclaims after Yuna whispers something in her ear. "How am I supposed to do that?"

Yuna grins. "Show'em what 3 years of drama club has taught you!"

Rikku's brows remain furrowed but the corner of her mouth tugs upwards into a smile. Finally, she draws a breath and faces our team.

"You have 30 seconds, starting...now!"

No one on our team makes a sound as we watch Rikku's intricate dance. Cause...that's what it looks like. I don't know if she's trying to imitate something, like a bird or lion, but it's awfully vague.

"Just guess!" she cries out desperately after 10 seconds of silence.

A few people laugh and some toss out a few answers. Rikku shakes her head, frowning petulantly. "Don't read too much into it!" she says.

"Hey, no talking allowed!" someone from the other team calls out.

"Shut it, Zidane, I'm just explaining my style of acting!"

"Dance?" Naminé pipes up, to which Rikku's eyes widen and she gestures with her hand for more.

Oh. _Oh._ It doesn't just look like a dance - it is one.

"Freestyle?" someone guesses.

"Aerobics," is another, which makes everyone laugh.

"Interpretive dance!" I exclaim with a hand raised in air, just as Yuna announces our time is up.

"Yes! High-five, Kairi!" Rikku exclaims, prancing over with her palm facing me. I eagerly oblige, a proud smile on my face.

I then turn towards Naminé to high-five her as well. "Teamwork, am I right?" I ask with a wide smile.

Naminé laughs, slapping her hand at mine. "At our finest."

"Alright, next!" Yuna announces, ushering the next team. "Anyone - anyone _else_? Yes, Zidane, I see your hand."

The game proceeds swimmingly. It's fun to see everyone make a fool out of themselves trying to mimic some pretty ridiculous things. For my turn, I have to act out '2 birds with 1 stone,' which is easier than I had thought it'd be.

Someone quickly catches onto the raised 2 fingers (someone guesses 'peace' before that), and though the team buffers awhile at my on point acting, Naminé quickly figures out I'm not pitching a baseball to scare chickens but tossing a stone at birds.

"Nice!" I cheer, patting her back as I take my seat and the opposing team goes up. "We're _so_ good at this!"

"Power of friendship!" Naminé cheers.

"Queen of cheesy quotes!"

"You're not denying it, so you agree."

"Much sharp," I comment happily, noting the other team has failed to guess the phrase 'knight in shining armor.'

"Alright, last one! Who's left on this side?" Yuna asks, looking at my team. "Naminé?"

"Yes ma'am!" Naminé chirps, rising to her feet. Yuna whispers something in her ear, and Naminé's baby blue eyes widen. "B - but wha - ?"

"Don't fail me now, my promising protégé!" Yuna says before dashing off towards the side.

With a helpless sigh, Naminé begins her pantomime. She holds one hand out in midair on her side and bends her knees, walking and straightening her legs in the process. It's pretty vague and very hard for us to guess.

"Drink milk to grow taller!"

"Uh, change!"

"Walk carefully?"

Naminé sighs once more. She hesitates for a moment before taking another stab at the prompt.

I burst out laughing as she summons the widest, cheesiest smile I've ever seen on her. She's beaming so widely her teeth look like they're gonna fall out. If that makes any sense.

She then proceeds to wave her hand in multiple directions. Where is she going with this?

She eyes me in particular, and I feel the pressure mounting. Is this a charade specifically for me?

"Happy?"

"Grin and bare it!"

"A very enthusiastic janitor."

I chuckle at the last one. Naminé's still looking at me intently, so I dig up a guess. "Uh, a clown?"

Her response is a weary sigh.

"10 seconds!" Yuna exclaims on our side. Naminé frowns, at this point just glaring at me. She then proceeds to do a multitude of things at once: her hand falls to the ground and goes all the way up to as high as she can reach, she stares at the ground intently while her feet shuffle back and forth, she throws her head back and pretends to laugh…

"Life is short, time is money?"

"What the - is this like scenes in a movie or something?"

I narrow my eyes. "I don't - " I begin, as Naminé continues staring at me expectantly. "Are you...imitating someone?"

Naminé nods furiously.

Oh, okay! So that narrows it down to...our entire grade?

Yuna begins a countdown, and I feel a chill crawl up my spine. Somehow I feel like the entire team's counting on me! I rack my brains trying to figure out what message Namine's trying to convey.

"Uh, Tidus! Wakka? Rikku? Roxas, or Ven!" I'm just spitting out names of people we know. "Coach Fair! Wait...no way it's our homeroom teacher?"

"Time!" Yuna eagerly cuts off, much to my team's dismay and the other team's satisfaction. "So sorry, but you were getting there! I think I know where Naminé was going with this - hey, good job!"

Naminé manages a small smile. "Thanks, Yuna. That was hard though."

"What was it?" someone on our team asks.

"Childhood friend," Naminé says. "I was trying to show holding someone's hand and growing up with them...but that didn't work."

"I thought you had a stroke and your arm was paralyzed," someone says.

"Oh." Naminé chuckles. "Yeah. So then, since I know Kairi, I was trying to mimic her childhood friend…"

"Who?" I ask.

"Huh? Uh, you?" Naminé says confusedly.

"Who's my childhood friend?"

Naminé pauses for a moment before chuckling. "Oh! I was trying to imitate Sora."

Some ohhs of recognition resonate among the crowd. "Oh, yeah, only Sora smiles that much."

"Yeah, only he's that friendly and has to say hi to everyone," someone adds with a laugh.

I narrow my eyes, still stuck on the label she'd assigned me and Sora. "Childhood friends?" I repeat.

"...yeah." Naminé looks more confused now. "I was trying to approximate his height, he plays soccer, and he laughs a lot…? Was it not obvious?"

"Uh, well…" I snort, "Sora and I aren't really friends, per se…"

"... _awkward,"_ someone murmurs.

" _Shot down_ ," whispers someone else.

I turn around to glare but the offenders slink back into the shadows. Turning my attention back to Naminé, I proceed to explain myself. "We're not - I mean, I don't really...think of us as 'childhood friends,' you know? That's why it was so hard to guess the phrase is actually 'childhood friends!'" I exclaim, bringing the subject full circle.

Naminé blinks owlishly, the corner of her mouth twitching nervously. "Oh, I see...yeah it's kinda hard to guess."

Before the subject can continue any further, Yuna jumps in and asks for the final person on the other team to come up. Naminé navigates her way back to her seat next to me, greeting me with a light chuckle.

"That was hard," she complains.

"That was," I agree. "I have no idea how I'd act that out."

"I know, right? Acting out Sora was just a spur of the moment idea."

"Yeah, I don't think I would've gotten 'childhood friend' even if I guessed you were imitating Sora," I say laughing.

Naminé giggles, and then we're silent watching the other team's last player. Just when I think we're done with that topic, Naminé brings it back up again.

"So, if you guys aren't childhood friends, what's your relationship with Sora?" she asks curiously.

I hesitate for the longest time. My first response is backpedalling - am I being too harsh in not calling us friends? But...we aren't. We don't hang out every other day like me and Tidus. We don't trust each other with our secrets like me and Naminé. We don't shop, or go out and eat, or have sleepovers like Selphie and I - ahem, _used_ to.

"He's just...someone I've known for a _long_ time," I settle with saying.

It sounds kind of distant, but it's the only definition I'm comfortable with now.

* * *

 **One word, everyone: finals. Oh, and a renewed obsession with k-pop.**

 **On a brighter note, finals are over! And I really should stop procrastinating with this.**

 **Much thanks to my beloved readers & especially reviewers! I love seeing your feedback and what you thought about the story! Pleaseplease let me know what you liked/disliked about this chapter/the direction of the story/anything, really.**

 **And, as always, please stay tuned for the next chapter!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter NINE**

Couples going to Fall Formal \- _*confirmed by Naminé_

\- Tidus and Selphie* _as expected_  
\- Wakka and Rikku  
\- Ven and Fuu* _how do they even know each other_  
\- Axel and Xion*  
\- Irvine and some freshman  
\- Riku and a senior girl _!? must ask Naminé ASAP_

* * *

"So you're all tired already, huh?" Coach Tellah exclaims, pacing back and forth before us. The entire cross-country team stands at the starting line of the track with hands on our knees, bent over and heaving deep breaths. After that particularly exhausting timed interval training, I barely have the mental capacity to register that Coach Tellah sounds mad.

"Coach - " Yuffie begins but is quickly cut off.

" _You young spoony whippersnappers!_ " Coach Tellah snaps. "We're halfway through the season already and you're all already done? How are we gonna even rank in championships?" He takes a step closer, peering at us one by one. "And where are all your teammates? Why's only half of you present today?"

"We have a lot of midterms this week…" one of the freshman tentatively raises her hand and mumbles.

"THAT'S NOT AN EXCUSE!" he cries. "What, just because you have something going on, you give up everything else? Yeah, I know the way new things can just grab your attention like that, but you can't just forget about your other commitments! Just because you don't show up doesn't mean I'm not here anymore, you know? Even if you have other things going on, you can't stop spending time on the important things - the stuff that matters - things that have always been there for you!"

...wait, is he still talking about us? I hesitantly exchange glances with my teammates, all of us as unsure as the other as to what's going on.

"...when he thinks he's all that, but actually, it's all a trap! Those relationships don't last, you know? You can only count on family in the end, and I'm family, right? I'm not being overbearing or needy, am I? I just want to spend time with her!"

Yeah, definitely not talking to us anymore. And if I have to take a guess...one of the few things that stresses Coach Tellah out more than anything is his daughter Anna.

Who is...here. Yup, that's her walking over from the school gate right now.

"...don't understand! Did I do something wrong? Is this my punishment for refusing to buy her that toy unicorn when she was 5? She had too many teddy bears already, we had no room for more! I was being a good, practical parent! I had no choice! It wasn't cause I didn't love her enough or anything - oh, no, God forbid anyone think that way - "

"Dad."

" - my dear Anna, I'm so sorry! I'll buy you anything you want now! Our house can fit more toys, including that oversized dollhouse I didn't buy for your 7th birthday, I - "

"Dad!"

" - my dear, sweet An - Anna?!" Coach Tellah pauses, whirling around in surprise. Instantly, a smile rises to his face. "What are you doing here?"

Anna beams. "Hi Dad. Are you embarrassing me again?"

"What? Embarrassing?" Coach Tellah's voice goes up an octave or two. "What are you talking about? I'm just sharing childhood stories! AhahahAHAHAHA!"

With a well-trained smile, Anna nods and turns towards us. "I'm sorry if his temper's particularly bad these days. I - um, recently, he's been kind of upset with me. Anyways, I brought some snacks, if you guys are hungry..."

She should know better than to offer food to starving high school kids after practice. Instantly, we burst into cheers, clamoring for the bag of snacks eagerly being passed around. I reach in and retrieve - score! - an energy bar.

"Wait, we're not - !" Coach Tellah begins, but Anna cuts him off.

"Dad, I saw you guys practicing 20 minutes ago when we drove by. I could hear you yelling at them from outside the school gates. Plus, you're already 10 minutes over time today," Anna points out.

Coach Tellah blinks, checking his watch. "Oh, I didn't realize! Of course, I need my Anna to keep track of these things for me."

Anna grins. "Again, everyone, I'm sorry if my dad's been pushing you too hard these days. Eat up - you deserve it!"

"Thanks Anna!" our team choruses in unison before quickly returning to our snacks.

"Remember to stretch!" Yuffie reminds us all as some people start sitting down and growing complacent. I bend over, hands reaching for the ground as I relish the tingling tension in my calf muscles.

I glance over at my side, where Yuffie is bent over with her hands basically wrapped around the tips of her shoes. How the hell is she so flexible? She straightens back up, swinging her arms loosely and twisting her ankles. Wait a sec…

I stand up as well. "Are you still gonna run?" I ask incredulously.

Yuffie turns over, one hand helping stretch her other arm. "Oh! Yeah." She laughs. "I feel like I need to finish the day with some good old cardio."

I blink, trying to process what Yuffie has said. "B...we just ran for 2 hours."

"Mostly interval training. I'm just gonna do a few more laps."

"Okay…" I guess that's the difference between me, just an ordinary runner, and Yuffie, an aspiring college student-athlete. "You should have the rest of the snacks," I say, dropping the plastic bag by the edge of the track.

"Oh, no, I can't eat all that," Yuffie says with a laugh. "Split the rest with the team."

"Here, I'll leave these for you." I reach in to scoop out a handful, but Yuffie comes over and stops me with a hand on my arm.

"No, really, it's okay. I'm actually on a diet, so I shouldn't be snacking anyways." She grins. "You can have it."

"Yuffie! Now you're making me feel bad. If you're on a diet, then I should be on one too." Cause Yuffie's body is definitely more toned than mine.

Yuffie chuckles, shoving my handful of snacks back into the bag. "It's just a simple diet to stay fit for the season."

I laugh along. "You health nut."

"Well I can't deny that!"

I really should take a pointer or two from Yuffie's self-discipline: both to push herself in running and to restrain herself from mindless snacking. I suppose she has pretty high expectations to meet as our captain. And meanwhile...I'm just here. Nothing too exciting to boast of or aim for.

"Well, don't make the rest of us look too bad!" I exclaim, bidding her goodbye. Yuffie smirks, waving at me before commencing her laps.

Well, that's it for me. Now I can head home, grab a snack, maybe watch an episode or two of _Poker Face_ before dinner…

I get my bag from the lockers and decide to head home in my sweaty clothes cause I'll be taking a nice hot shower anyways. I'm imagining all the snack foods awaiting me at home that I almost miss a familiar silhouette at the school gate.

"Hey Tidus," I greet, "what're you doing here?"

"Oh hey, there you are," Tidus says with a frown. "What's the point of having a cellphone if you won't pick up?"

"Huh?"

"I called you like 10 times."

"Oh, sorry, practice went a little over today…" I trail off, pulling my phone out of my bag. Indeed, a handful of missed calls are all from _UR #1 COUSIN_. "What's up?"

"Your dad called my mom, and you're staying at our house for a few days," Tidus says succinctly.

"Huh?"

"Something about your mom gone on a business trip and your dad needs to visit your grandparents or something?" Tidus shrugs. "Your dad said he'll call you later, he had to catch a plane."

"...oh." I sigh. You'd think I'd be used to my parents pulling these sorts of last-minute disappearing acts on me. Don't even get me started on how many times I've had to stay over at Tidus' place cause of this growing up. I already have my own toothbrush at his place.

The sudden burst of rage in my stomach rushes to my brain. It takes some willpower to resist the urge to shoot the messenger. So I give myself a mental pat on the back for keeping my mouth shut.

"...so, how was practice?" Tidus asks conversationally.

"Good," I chirp, eager to take my mind off my family. "Coach pushed us a little hard cause his daughter's dating or something."

Tidus snickers. "That's funny, Coach Fair always starts going easy on us when his dating life perks up."

"Oh right, he still does that?" I laugh at the thought. "I still remember that one time he cancelled practice but then he rescheduled it cause he got in a fight with his girlfriend?"

"Oh my god, I was so pissed that day!" Tidus exclaims. "I was gonna go to the premiere for _Melting Sunset_ but then I couldn't make it!"

"Yeah, I remember you whining to me about it for a week."

"That's cause wouldn't stop talking about how cute the main couple was."

"That's only cause Selphie kept on - !"

I can't help stumbling over my words a little. It's awkward bringing her up, but I quickly figure it's more awkward abruptly ceasing conversation because of one name.

"...cause Selphie kept going on about how their relationship didn't make sense," I finish weakly, trailing off to a mumble.

Tidus clears his throat awkwardly. "Um, oh, huh."

Awkward glances.

Fidgeting hands.

More throats being cleared - and I'm pretty sure we're both just damaging our tracheal walls at this point.

"So, uh, do you know what we're having for dinner?" I ask. I think I'm getting a little too good at subject changes.

"My mom's making pasta tonight. Speaking of which, I have to pick up some broccoli," Tidus says.

"Ooh, sounds good. Marinara or alfredo?"

"What do you think? Red sauce all the way," Tidus cheers, leading us towards his car. The promise of warm homemade food and a night of pleasant company (yes, Tidus falls under that category) distracts me from most everything else I could be thinking of.

* * *

"Thanks, Auntie Sonnen," I say graciously as she sets down my hefty serving of pasta. I don't know what to think about the fact that I got more meatballs than Tidus except that it's obvious who Auntie Sonnen loves more.

Jokes - _I joke_ , people.

Why am I even justifying myself to...myself?

Ahem, anyways…

"Did you talk to your dad yet?" Auntie Sonnen asks as she places all the condiments in the middle of the table. "Tidus, go get your dad," she adds, to which Tidus begrudgingly stands up and walks off, all while staring at his phone.

"Not yet," I reply to Auntie Sonnen, "I think he's still on the plane. It's a 3-hour flight to Radiant Garden."

"Oh, that's right. Don't worry, honey, it's nothing urgent. They had to reschedule your Grandpa O'Hara's operation to replace his pacemaker, so your father went to accompany him."

"Oh. That sounds kinda serious. Why didn't you go too, Auntie Sonnen?"

Okay...I think my mouth's losing its touch on keeping itself shut while my brain goes crazy. It's not un-obvious that my question upsets Auntie Sonnen just a little.

She musters a grin. "Who's gonna take care of my husband and son while I'm gone?"

Well...my dad did just up and abandon me.

"So, uh, this is some good pasta!" I exclaim instead. Yes, score 1 for Kairi's brain-to-mouth filter!

"Did you try some yet?" Auntie Sonnen asks.

"Umm...no...I mean, it smells delicious! I can tell it's gonna be great!"

Thankfully, Tidus and his dad step into the room to take the attention away from us. "Smells great, honey," Uncle Sonnen says, leaning over to kiss her on the cheek. I think it's cute, but Tidus makes a face and sticks his tongue out at me. I laugh at his childish reaction.

Since Uncle Sonnen used to play soccer, the dinner conversation largely revolves around said subject. "So, Tidus, how was practice today?"

"Good," Tidus mumbles while scarfing down his meatballs. And...oh god, how much parmesan is he gonna add? It's like more than half the dish now. "Had a few assists today during scrimmage, and almost made a point."

"The striker on your team, he's in your grade, right? That guy with the light-colored hair...Riku?"

I automatically tense up at the mention of Riku's name. After staring at my meatballs for a considerable amount of time, I look up and tentatively meet Tidus' gaze.

No words are exchanged. He then shifts over to look at his dad.

"Yeah. I need to work harder, I guess."

"Of course you do. Any sport is just about a constant pursuit of self-improvement."

"Tidus, sweetheart, can you pass me the pepper?"

"Here you go, Mom."

"Salt, Tidus."

"Magic word?"

I growl under my breath. " _Please_?" I hiss with a saccharine smile. Tidus rolls his eyes, sliding the salt shaker across the table, at which his mom lightly scolds him and his dad laughs.

"How's cross-country, Kairi?" Tidus asks.

I sorta bask in the attention on me, cause who doesn't like to gloat about their accomplishments? "We're getting ready for our meet next week. My mile time's improved a little, and we've been cranking up the mileage since the beginning of the month."

"You're working real hard just for a sport!" Uncle Sonnen exclaims.

"Well, it's kinda a big deal for me."

"I'd bet. You spend all your free time on it?"

"I mean, we practice everyday after school. It's like any other varsity sport."

"If practice sucks up all your time, you won't have time for a boyfriend!"

I laugh nervously. Uncle Sonnen doesn't know, so I can't exactly blame him for bringing up fresh wounds. "Yeah…" is all I can say as I trail off awkwardly, turning back to my spaghetti.

"Do you want some more water, Kairi?" Auntie Sonnen chirps. I smile gratefully as I hand her my glass, and she rises to refill my cup.

"Hey, Tidus, can I borrow an extra charger?" I remember to ask. "I left mine at home."

"Yeah, no problem."

"Oh," Uncle Sonnen interrupts, "you're staying over again, Kairi?"

"Uh, yeah." I'd thought someone would've told him? "Sorry to impose again…"

"Oh no," Uncle Sonnen insists, "that's not what I mean! You're always welcome, Kairi! I was just going to ask, where's your mom?"

"She's on a business trip, and she'll be back the end of the week," I explain. "Thanks, Auntie Sonnen," I say as she returns my filled glass of water and I take a hearty gulp.

"Wow, your mom sure travels a lot," Uncle Sonnen remarks.

"It's pretty amazing," Auntie Sonnen chirps in. "She gets to visit all sorts of lovely places. She really wishes she could bring you and your father along, Kairi."

I smile fondly at Auntie Sonnen's words. "We went to Traverse Town for a week over summer. It was pretty cool."

"Isn't it hard for her to be away from family all the time?" Uncle Sonnen asks. "I mean, honey, I know you can barely leave me and Tidus alone during our father-son bonding time!"

Tidus rolls his eyes. "That's cause Mom's worried we'll starve. A legit concern, in my opinion."

"You just gotta tough it out like a real man!" Uncle Sonnen remarks heartily, patting Tidus on the back.

The rest of the dinner conversation proceeds with Tidus questioning Uncle Sonnen what being 'a real man' entails. I help Auntie Sonnen clean the table, but when I offer to wash the dishes, she immediately ushers me off.

"I'm sure you have homework to do," she says. "Go study! Or if you don't, take the chance to relax. You deserve it. And I'm sorry about how everything turned out."

"Oh, don't apologize, Auntie Sonnen! It's not like it's your fault. I mean, if anything, thanks for always taking me in. I'm sure my dad owns you like a hundred meals or something by this point."

Auntie Sonnen chuckles. "Your dad does have the tendency to forget favors, if you know what I mean."

"Oh, believe me, I know what you're talking about." I grin widely. "Thanks again, Auntie Sonnen."

"Let me know if you need anything, Kairi!"

I scamper out of the kitchen, passing by Tidus and his dad, now arguing about who was the best soccer player in the history of the official Destiny Islands team. I'd join in, but Uncle Sonnen can get pretty worked up about pro sports so I decide to leave them be. Auntie Sonnen has the guest room set up for me, so I head in and turn on my laptop. I realize I don't have any homework to do tonight, so that means binge-watching to catch up with _Poker Face_!

Just as I've loaded the episode I'm on, my phone rings.

" _Finally_ ," I complain to the other end.

I'm greeted with my dad's chuckle. "I'm sorry I couldn't make the plane fly any faster - I tried, Kairi."

I snort at my dad's lame joke. "Sure. What happened? Auntie Sonnen said Grandpa's having surgery? Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he's fine. It's a scheduled operation to replace his pacemaker, but his usual surgeon is gonna be out of town next month so they moved up the date to this weekend. You know your grandpa doesn't like going under the anesthesia by himself. So, to fulfill filial duty and all, I'm here to accompany him."

"Sure, but you also ditched me. Am I not part of this filial duty thing?"

"Ah, yes Kairi, _you_ have filial duty towards me! Should we start this weekend after I get back? Maybe with massages every other day…"

"Eww, no, never mind." My dad laughs, cause he thinks he's a comedian or something.

"Haha. Anyways, I'm sorry, Kairi, for just leaving you like that. I just told your mom about the situation today, and she should call you tonight if she isn't too busy. She might have to call tomorrow, cause she's preparing for a presentation tonight..."

"Yeah, okay. No big deal. S'not like this is the first time."

Do I sound bitter? Okay, maybe I am. Just a little though. I mean, who likes to be left behind? By your parents, no less?

Am I being dramatic? Perhaps. I'm in drama club now though, so justified.

Again, why do I keep justifying things to myself? Seriously…

"...I'm really sorry Kairi."

What are you supposed to do when your parents say stuff like that?

"...it's okay, Dad. I gotta go, do homework."

"Okay, okay. Study hard! Don't slack off just cause we're gone!"

"Hey, I always work hard!"

"Of course. As always, don't study too hard. Do you want me to bring back anything from Radiant Garden?"

"Nothing in particular. I'll let you know if I think of anything."

"Sure, that sounds good. Okay, can you pass the phone to Amanda?"

"Sureeeee. _Auntie Sonnen_!" I holler, skipping out of the room. She's still in the kitchen dicing up fruit, predictably for us. "My dad wants to talk to you."

"Oh! Give me one minute," she says, rinsing her hands and drying them quickly. "Okay! Hello, Gabe?"

I'm not interested in what my dad and aunt have to say to each other, so I turn around to head back towards my room. Tidus and his dad are now watching television together. Surprisingly, it's not a sports channel but a featured film. Action, by the looks of it.

Tidus notices me dallying in the room. "Wanna watch?" he asks.

I pause for a moment, considering my options. "What's it about?"

"So far, the scientists have predicted that aliens are set to invade Earth in about a year, so humanity's prepping an army."

"The actor's pretty popular now, right? He looks kinda familiar," Uncle Sonnen says, pointing at the screen.

"Ohmigawd, is that Edward von Muir?" I exclaim, jumping into the seat next to Tidus. "He looks so young!"

"This came out ten years ago," Tidus says.

"I'm so in," I say.

"You like sci-fi films, Kairi?" Uncle Sonnen asks.

"Usually no, but anything for Edward von Muir. Oh, please tell me he gets to sing."

"What the - this is a sci-fi action film, Kairi," Tidus remarks. "When's he gonna get the chance to sing? At the pep rally before they fight the aliens?"

"C'mon, have you heard his voice before? It's _melting_."

"Kairi...what does that even mean?"

* * *

 **A/N: I like subplots a bit too much for my own good.**

 **There's some background stuff and groundwork laying in this chapter, all to prep us for conflicts and angst down the road! Cause yeah, guys, I'm in for the long haul.**

 **Reviewers are always too kind! Please leave your thoughts and let me know what you think. Is the pacing too slow? Do we want more/less minor characters? Does Sora need more appearances?**

 **Whoops, I just checked and realized Sora hasn't actually appeared for two chapters. Will fix that ASAP - so stay tuned for the next installment!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter TEN**

Here's What You Missed At Fall Formal \- _Or, What I Heard Through the Grapevine Cause I Talked Myself Out of Going_

\- Tidus met Selphie at the dance like the loser he is cause Selphie had to set up as Student Council representative  
\- Ven and Fuu danced one dance and spent the rest of the night with their respective friend groups  
\- One of the chaperones caught Axel trying to steal the extra bottles of soda  
\- He got kicked out but he apparently already nabbed five packs of chocolate chip cookies  
\- IRVINE GOT STOOD UP HAHAHA. Apparently the freshman girl's parents didn't want her going to the dance with 'an older boy.' Probably for the best. For everyone.  
\- And me? I finally caught up on _Poker Face_ and also started _Smash Doctors_ , cause medical dramas give me life (pun intended). Thanks for asking.

* * *

"Ready?"

"Yes ma'am!"

"Okay. Let's go over the objectives one more time…"

"C'mon, Naminé, I don't wanna wait no more!" I complain. "Let's do this!"

"Okay, okay!" She shifts her thick-rimmed glasses up her nose for the umpteenth time in the last hour. "Where'd you get these anyways?" she asks, pointing at them.

"My brother bought them for a play or something once and never used them again. Man, I honestly can't recognize you." I take a look at Naminé once more. Instead of her usual soft pastel colors and feminine frills, she's dressed plainly in a graphic tee and shorts.

"You too. The cap covers your hair, which usually stands out."

"High-five for teamwork." Our palms meet briefly with pride. "Okay - wait, they're on the move!"

"Alright then. Let's move out!" Naminé exclaims.

We assume the roles of casual shoppers looking at the mall directory stand. We've picked the optimal location to collect information on our targets in question, who are currently chatting on the other side of this stand.

"...get something to eat, I'm starving."

"No."

"C'mon, Fuu! We just finished soccer practice, and Coach made us run suicides today…"

"...fine."

"Is this a date?" I ask tentatively. I'm a little worried how Naminé's taking this whole situation, since Ventus is a close friend of hers. But she proposed the, ahem, mission in the first place, so I assume she's just curious.

Me? I'm just doing it for the lolz.

"I have no idea...I asked Ven about it when I found out he asked Fuu to Fall Formal, _and_ I asked him again after Fall Formal, but he said they're 'just friends'!"

"My ass," I snort. "They went to Fall Formal together!"

"As friends," Naminé points out, "which I would believe if they're not going on clandestine meetings like this now!"

"How'd you even find out about this 'date'?"

"I was gonna study for our history test with Roxas and Ven today, but Ven said he couldn't make it. Then later, Roxas told me it's cause he has a date!"

"Wait, you have a test tomorrow?"

"That's not important, Kairi! The important thing is, he lied to me! He said he's studying with some other friends, but that's obviously not the case!"

"Hmm...that is suspicious," I agree. "Oh, shit - this way, Naminé!"

We time our steps with Ventus and Fuu's, so we barely manage to dodge their line of sight using the directory stand as they walk past. Peering curiously, we glance at each other briefly and then commence our mission.

Operation: Are Ventus and Fuu Dating?

"Someone's calling me.." Naminé trails off, retrieving her phone out of her pocket. Her eyes brighten at caller ID. "I need to take this. Can you keep a lookout?"

"Yes ma'am!" I salute her and keep my eyes trained on our targets. They're not getting anywhere! From my expert opinion, they're standing closer than acquaintances do, but is it just me or are they sorta awkward with each other? I mean, that might just be because Fuu's an awkward person.

Just imho.

"Hey Kairi, you hungry?" Naminé asks as she types something into her phone. "We have reinforcements coming with the promise of snacks."

"Ooh!" My ears perk up at the mention of food. Reinforcements, huh? "Who else is coming? Do I know them?"

"Of course you do. So, food?"

My mind's easily distracted by that topic. "A pineapple banana smoothie would be great. Oh, and maybe a pack of sour gummy worms? Can you also get me some gum?"

"...okay, I feel a little bad making him buy everything…"

The identities of our mysterious backup intrigues me, but movement in the general direction of our targets quickly seizes my attention.

"They're on the move! I repeat, the targets are on the move!"

"I heard you the first time, Kairi; I'm right here."

"Then let's go!"

I drag Naminé along down the long corridor of the mall up till where Ventus and Fuu are dallying by the entrance of a small café. Ventus is pouting, but the guy wields his pouts like a weapon against anyone and everyone, so I don't particularly read into it.

"They're not being real subtle or anything...but it's not really date-ish. You know what I mean?" I observe.

"Yeah, that's true...then why'd he lie to me?"

"Well, that smells fishy to me…"

We casually stroll by the glass paneled wall of the café and lean our backs against it, occasionally garnering a quick glance inside. It's a little crowded, but I quickly pinpoint Fuu's distinct hair color. She looks like she doesn't want to be here...but she always has that look on her face, so I don't think she's particularly against this café.

Just imho.

"He bought her something!" I point out, as Ventus carries a tray of pastries and drinks to the table Fuu's seated at. "That means something, right?"

"Probably…" Naminé observes, mulling the thought over. "Ven's generous with stuff like that though, so I don't - oh. They're all for himself."

Oh dear - Naminé's right. He finishes half the muffin in one bite and spoons some of that pudding into his mouth. Damn, I'm really craving something sweet now…

"Our food is here!" Naminé reports gleefully, checking something on her phone. Yes, it's as if they're on cue! I turn towards Naminé anticipatorily and realize she's looking over my shoulder. Turning around, I look around for anyone I know when my eyes settle on someone.

Someone indeed very familiar, but...huh? Why's _he_ here?

And...he's approaching. In our direction. Holy shit, no way -

"Sora!" Naminé greets happily, arms open as she approaches. Despite the fact that both his hands are occupied, he somehow manages to wrap his arms around her (probably cause Naminé's tiny). He then turns towards me, and that's when I decide to stop staring at them like I'm watching a TV show.

"Hey," he greets casually with an upward nod.

With narrowed eyes (so he knows I'm still very suspicious of the situation), I return the greetings.

There's an awkward silence, when I'm waiting for someone to explain the situation and Sora's pretending it's not awkward by smiling incessantly. Thankfully, Naminé intervenes.

"So, are those our snacks?" she asks, pointing at the bag in one hand.

"Oh, yeah!" he chirps, raising both hands. "A vanilla latte with soy milk, one pineapple smoothie, and - oh, the iced Americano is mine," he says, holding out the cup carrier to us. Naminé happily takes her cup, while I dally for a bit before doing the same thing. "And," Sora continues, "the bunch of miscellaneous snacks you texted me. Jeez, you guys skip lunch or something?" he jokes, holding the plastic bag out.

No one takes the bag, so both the awkward silence and Sora's smile stretch on.

Naminé saves us once more by juggling her things and taking the plastic bag. She laughs airily. "Thanks, Sora."

"No problem. So, you need help with something?"

"Naminé can I talk to you?" I blurt out in one breath. Naminé glances over, blinking at me so I blink back.

She opens her mouth to respond, but Sora beats her to it.

"Just say whatever you wanna say," he intones. "It's weird seeing you care about tact and all, Kairi. Actually, I'm surprised you haven't asked me why - "

"Why's he here?" I ask.

Sora scoffs. "There it is," he mumbles, loud enough for us to hear.

"Um...I asked him?" Naminé responds hesitantly.

"O - oh...I, uh, well...I didn't know you guys were friends."

"...yeah," Naminé chirps with a smile at Sora's direction. He smiles back. "We hung out a lot during Assassin since he basically followed me around everywhere - "

"Captain's orders!" Sora salutes me, bringing a grin to my face.

"And we worked on an English project together recently, so we got kinda close." Naminé shrugs.

I have more questions, but Naminé's next exclamation throw me off. "Oh my god, they're coming out!" she exclaims, pushing me and Sora away from the café entrance. I stumble a little since my brain's severely lagging, which causes me to rest my hands on Sora's back to steady myself.

We dash behind the corner, where Naminé peeps around to keep an eye out for us. That leaves me and Sora awkwardly coexisting in the same space. I'm not sure where to look: him, or not him.

"...you're taking this better than I thought," he finally speaks up.

That at least solves my dilemma of where to look: him, since he's talking. "What?" I ask.

"You used to throw a mini tantrum whenever we bumped into each other in public." He snickers. "Guess you've matured?"

"Hey, who are you calling childish?" I exclaim defensively. Sora laughs, apologizing for having misspoken. I then figure I can continue my line of questioning with him. "So, uh, you and Naminé are close?"

Sora makes a face. "Eh. Closer than before, to be specific. Why - does it bother you?"

"No! I'm just...surprised. I mean, you guys were basically strangers - maybe acquaintances, and suddenly we're all hanging out together? It's kinda a leap in my brain." I point to my head.

"...I think you're thinking too much. It's just friendship - it doesn't make too much sense if you think too hard."

"Hmm...I guess…" I trail off confusedly, unsure why this entire situation is still mentally tripping me up.

"Let's go!" Naminé beckons eagerly.

Well, that reminds me of the mission at hand. We dash out of our hiding spot, though now our party of three's a little more conspicuous so we fall back a little more. I turn towards Sora with a frown.

"You're not wearing a disguise!" I point out.

"Huh?"

"This is a reconnaissance mission! Look at me and Naminé - we came prepared! You look exactly like...you! And this!" I tug at a strand of his unruly brown hair. "Anyone from our school can recognize you from a mile off!"

"Well, excuse me for being preoccupied with buying your list of snacks. I didn't realize I needed a _disguise_ , forgive me."

"You're forgiven," I snipe, trying to figure out what I can do with him. I can't do much about clothes, but I pass him my hat so he can at least try to cover up his most defining feature.

"This fits me?" he exclaims. "But you were just wearing it!"

"I adjusted it of course!" I insist.

"I was gonna say, you can't pull off snapbacks," he says with a smirk. I roll my eyes at his meaningless teasing and pick up the pace to catch up with Naminé.

We follow Ventus and Fuu in and out of a bunch of stores in the mall. It seems like they're just window-shopping or something, because they keep on coming out empty-handed. And all they're looking at are sports stores...

"If they are on a date, this has got to be the most boring date ever," I complain.

"I'll talk to Ven about proper date etiquette," Sora promises.

"This does seem very strange," Naminé concedes.

Ven's cell rings, and we scurry aside when he leans on the glass wall to take the call. While he's looking into the store, he very conveniently speaks loud enough for us to hear.

"...hey, what's up? Huh? Dude, I thought you're supposed to be studying with Naminé now."

I have a mini panic attack when Ventus mentions Naminé's name. Looking at her, she points at her phone and shows me a text she sent Roxas, asking him to call Ventus. Well, look at her hastening things along!

"No, why would I? What - a _date_? Dude, I'm trying to help Fuu buy a present for her dad cause it's his birthday soon and he's a soccer fan. It's not a date." Ventus snorts. "Just because we went to Fall Formal, it doesn't mean we're _dating_." He then clears his throat and speaks a little softer - we have to lean forward to hear what he's saying. "Fuu made me help her out in exchange for going to Fall Formal with her. Look, I didn't _want_ to ask anyone, but Naminé was talking about Fall Formal dates, and I had a weird feeling she was gonna ask me or something, so I just said I was going with someone to prevent that from happening..."

" _What?_ " Naminé exclaims. I have to latch onto her and pull her further away from the store so Ventus doesn't hear us.

"Okay, so it's not a date!" Sora concludes cheerfully, slipping the snapback off and placing it on my head. "Thanks, Kairi."

"No problem - you'd better have washed your hair yesterday."

"Of course - with shampoo _and_ conditioner."

"Good." I adjust the cap so I have it on backwards - cause despite what Sora says, I _can_ pull off a snapback. "What was I saying? Right - you were gonna ask Ventus?" I look at Naminé.

"No!" she squeaks. "I was just asking him about his plans, and - oh my god, did I give off that impression? He thought I was gonna ask him? Oh no, I was just being curious since he kept talking about this girl in his chem class..."

I chuckle. "So, to avoid that, he went through the trouble of actually asking someone."

"Typical Ven," Sora chimes in.

"He should've just talked to me," Naminé pouts, frustrated with the situation. "Then we could've avoided this whole thing..."

"That was fun though!" I chirp. "Operation: Are Ventus and Fuu Dating? Success! High-five, everyone!" Eagerly, I raise a palm towards both parties. Naminé mindlessly high-fives me before returning to her own frustrations. Sora pauses momentarily, which makes me look towards him. Why the hesitation?

He looks back, lagging again for awhile before deciding to smile. I'm confused, with questions on my mind, but he high-fives me and the entire thing seems over.

"Hey, Sora!" a voice calls out.

...oh, _shit_. I recognize that voice. Hesitantly, I turn around and meet Ventus' eye.

"Oh, and Kairi - hey. Didn't recognize you with the hat." He chuckles, and I laugh back, glad that my disguise worked. "What're you guys doing here?"

"I - " I cut myself off when I realize Naminé had somehow made herself scarce. Looking around, I find her dallying by a large plant, observing us cautiously. I widen my eyes at her, hoping to convey my confusion as to what to do now. She points at her phone, and I nod, making a note to check what she texts me.

"We're just hanging out," Sora says when I fail to follow up with my sentence.

"Oh. Oh!" Ventus chirps. I'm not sure what's going on in that brain of his, but I hope it isn't what it shouldn't be.

Sora comes to the rescue by instantly turning the tables on him. "What're you doing here?"

"Me?" Ventus squeaks, his voice going up a pitch. I almost want to laugh. He chuckles nervously, eyes darting around. "Funny story actually...so, I owe Fuu a favor, so she asked me to help buy her dad a birthday present, since he likes soccer and all...but she keeps shooting down all my ideas! They're either too cheap, too expensive, too sentimental - what the heck does 'too sentimental' of a gift mean?"

"Do you need help?" Sora asks.

"Huh? Oh man, would you? I'm going crazy trying to figure out what's a good gift...like, why can't she just get him food? Can't go wrong with chocolate."

"That's like the default backup gift," I point out.

"Oh, true...hey, if you both aren't doing anything, why don't you join us? Seriously, I think I'm gonna go crazy if I spend another minute with just her...she's pickier about these things than I thought."

Sora shrugs. "I'm down," he says, turning towards me. "What about you, Kairi?"

"Oh! Uh…" On cue, my phone rings, and I smile sheepishly as I check what Naminé texted me.

 _From: Naminé da BESTie  
I think I'm gonna go study for my test (I need a B+ _T.T _), what're you gonna do?_

"Who's that?" Ventus asks nosily, trying to lean over to read my phone.

"Hey! Some privacy please?" I exclaim, taking a step back and raising my hand defensively. I can't let him see Naminé's text to me!

Quickly, I compose a response to her so I can put my phone away.

 _To: Naminé da BESTie  
ventus asked for help on gift-buying and sora already said yes. DX you can go first, gl on the test!_

"Okay, let's go!" I announce.

"Have you thought about a jersey of his favorite player?" Sora suggests. "Or some sort of memorabilia for his favorite team?"

"I did, that was like the first thing I suggested! But she said she doesn't know that much about what her dad likes. What am I supposed to do?"

"Calm down, man."

"If I can't find the right gift for her, she's gonna - _ahem_ \- she's gonna tell everyone why I owe her a favor in the first place!"

"...okay, that sounds vaguely like blackmail. But anyways, let's just go get her...maybe she found something she likes in that store. Kairi, you coming?"

I nod, following right behind the two boys returning into the store. We approach Fuu, who's holding a mug with a printed picture in her hands. Looking up, she glances at us and barely makes any sign of acknowledgement. So Ventus does the introductions.

"Hey Fuu, you know Sora and Kairi, right? I just bumped into them outside and they're both into soccer, so they can help us find the perfect gift! Cause I know you don't like any of my ideas…" Ventus laughs, scratching the back of his head.

"Okay," Fuu says and then turns away to look at another shelf of items.

Ventus turns towards us with wide, pleading eyes. Sora shrugs, glancing at me.

"Guys," I announce, "let me handle this." Dusting my hands somewhat dramatically, I step towards Fuu and check out what she's looking at: a picture frame with various sports equipment accents. "Hey, that looks like a good gift! Especially if your dad's the nostalgic type."

Fuu turns towards me and stares for a good few seconds before speaking. "Too tacky," she concludes before continuing to the next row.

I pause, unsure what to say in response to that. What does that even mean? How's the picture frame tacky? I'd buy that for my dad!

Rudeeeee. Just imho.

It's Sora's turn now. He steps towards her, giving her some space as she hesitates between two sides of the row. "What about this?" Sora suggests, pointing at the action figures on a shelf. "These guys are all soccer legends, your dad knows them for sure!"

"Too cheap."

"Okay...these are a little nicer," he compromises, gesturing at the larger set collection of a local amateur soccer team. "They're pretty popular in the islands."

"Too big."

"Okay then. Something kinda nice but doesn't take up too much space...ooh, what about that over there?

Wow...Sora's really on another level. I don't think I could be so patient helping someone who doesn't even seem to appreciate it. I look towards Ventus. "Is he always like this?"

"Like what?"

I use my hand to gesture in his area vaguely. I don't even know what I'm trying to convey. Finally, I settle with, "So...kind?"

"Oh!" Recognition flashes through Ventus' eyes as he slowly nods. "Yeah. Ha, believe me, usually, he's worse."

Watching Sora persist with helping Fuu despite being shot down for the _n_ th time makes me wonder: when was the last time he was so nice to me?

* * *

 **A/N: This summer heat's just making me lazy. I blame the new 3DS games I have at my disposal.**

 **I [heart] all the reviewers out there who are kind enough to leave a message letting me know at least someone's enjoying this story so far. Reviewers, you guys rock.**

 **And since I've learned my lesson by now, I make no promises for what's coming next.**

 **07/14/2016: UPDATED with minor edits (because wtf I didn't realize I didn't wrap up at the end)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter ELEVEN**

Before the meet today:

\- pack extra hairbands cause you never know  
\- let Naminé know where I'm disappearing off to afterschool  
\- eat bananas like no tomorrow (but there is tomorrow)  
\- DON'T FORGET EARPHONES cause my 'get pumped' playlist is an essential pregame ritual

* * *

10 minutes. Just 10 more minutes.

"Till what?" Naminé asks from my side.

I blink, shifting my body to turn towards my seatmate. "Oh. Was I talking to myself again?"

Naminé grins. "Yeah. What's happening in 10 minutes? Won't the teacher still be lecturing?"

I grin, flashing her a pass in my hands. "Track meet today, so I get to leave 30 minutes early! Woohoo!"

"Aww, so you're leaving me to fend for myself?"

"Never fear, soldier, I shall come back for you!"

Naminé raises a brow at me.

"Uh," I quickly think about it, "like, tomorrow?"

Naminé grins and turns her attention back to the board. I blanch at the additional chunk of words scribbled on and take out my phone to snap a picture of the whole thing. No time to digest that information now.

The countdown has begun: T minus 5 minutes!

My feet eagerly tap on the floor, impatient to break out into a sprint. Strangely, I'm more excited and less nervous about this meet. I don't feel particularly well-prepared, but practices have been going well these days so I guess I'm a little confident? Hey, I'm not asking for much: just first 50? Would top 40 be pushing my luck?

At the full hour, I raise my hand and wave my pass somewhat ostentatiously. The teacher shoos me towards the door, so I grab my bag, say goodbye to Naminé, and go my merry way. A smirk rises to my face.

It feels kinda badass being out in the halls during school hours.

An image of Coach Tellah barking in my face for being late prompts me to pick up my pace.

I'm dead set on being first to the bus that I almost miss a familiar face dawdling by the school gate.

"...what are you doing, Sora?"

Sora whirls around, wearing an expression like he's just been caught red-handed.

"Oh, uh, hey Kairi." Disregarding his brisk greeting, he also proceeds to pull out his phone and stare at the screen.

"...shouldn't you be in class?" I hazard a question.

"Huh?" He turns back around and stares at me for a moment. "Well, what about you?"

"Hey, don't look at me like that! I'm a good student; I don't cut class!" I pull out the flimsy sheet of paper and shove it in his face. "I have a pass for cross-country!"

Belatedly, I wonder why I'm justifying myself to Sora, of all people.

"Oh, I see," he says distractedly, turning away and looking eagerly towards the other side of the school gates.

"So what about you? What're you doing here?" I ask again. Judging by his lack of response, I begin to draw my own conclusions. "You - you're skipping class, aren't you? But the guard won't let you off-campus?"

"Just go, Kairi," Sora says tiredly. Why does he sound tired - it's the middle of the day!

"Where are you gonna go, huh? A soccer game? The arcade?"

"No, Kairi, I need to go to the hospital!"

"The hos - what?" My blood goes cold in a split second - that's not what I was expecting. All that joking around on my part suddenly seems very inappropriate. "Are...are you okay?" I tentatively ask.

Finally, Sora looks at me. He pauses for a moment before drawing a deep breath and answering. "Not me...uh, it's my mom."

My eyes widen. "Mrs. Hikari? What happened?"

"I don't know, my dad called and he said she was admitted to the hospital, but he's on another business trip so I - I gotta go see her. But the dumb guard won't let me off-campus."

I inhale sharply. It's probably the first time I've seen Sora so worried. He's always smiling (like an idiot) with no worries in his world, so I'm at a bit of a loss. Plus, consoling people has never been one of my strengths.

"Oh, uh, shit." Yeah, Kairi, just cuss your way through this awkward conversation. My eyes dart around, seeking for a way out of this situation. I raise a hand to scratch my hair, inadvertently crinkling the piece of paper in my hands.

Oh wait, that's right!

"Hey, I can get you out," I tell Sora. He looks up from his phone and towards me curiously. With a flourish, I grab a pen from my bag and add Sora's name to my pass on the convenient extra space at the bottom. I show it to him proudly. "I'm a genius, eh?"

Sora blinks, like his brain is lagging or something. Severely. Finally, he smiles and looks at me.

"...thanks, Kairi."

"Plus, now I don't owe you."

"For what?"

He forgot? "That one time you wrote my name on your pass! Remember?"

"Oh, that's right. I didn't think you'd remember that," he admits.

I roll my eyes. "Whatever. All that matters is that we're even. Now, you need to get your ass to the hospital and I gotta go before Coach gets on my ass for being late."

Sora follows right behind me as we head towards the guardhouse by the gate. The nondescript man looks bored out of his mind, barely managing to stay awake.

"Pass?" he asks with an extended hand. I hand him the slip and he skims through it, eying both of us.

"You tried getting out earlier, didn't you?" he asks Sora with alarming perception.

Put on the spot, Sora begins sweating. "Um, err, yes...I mean - "

"He lost his pass!" Kairi to the rescue! "Or he thought he did. He forgot our coach wrote passes for two people cause he got lazy."

The guard squints at me suspiciously. Honestly, does he enjoy interrogating a bunch of high schoolers on a random Thursday afternoon? Shouldn't he have better things to do?

Finally, he accepts the pass and lets us out. I sigh in relief, heading towards the bus parked by the curb. Turning around, I check on where Sora's headed - predictably the parking lot - but instead he's dallying by the entrance.

"What are you doing?" I ask him again.

"Huh?"

"Shouldn't you be dashing towards the hospital now?"

"I - uh…" Sora looks exceedingly nervous, eyes darting around and hands anxiously fidgeting.

"What, did you lie to me about your mom being in the hospital so I would get you out?"

"No!" he barks loudly. "I wouldn't joke around with something like that!"

"Okay...what're you waiting for then? Go hop in your car and drive off!"

"...I didn't drive to school today."

Oh. Fuck. "Dude, how the hell are you gonna get to the hospital then?"

"...I'm waiting for my driver."

Forgot - Sora's spoiled enough to have a driver. "Oh, okay..."

"...Kairi."

"Huh?" I turn around again just as I'm walking off.

"Did you drive today?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Can I borrow your car?"

"Hell no! I'm supposed to just trust you with my baby?"

"Kairi, your car's like a decade old."

"So what, you're looking down on secondhand cars now? Don't you know antiques are worth more? And you can't place a value on sentimentality!" God, and how in the world are Sora and I close enough for me to just lend him my car?

"C'mon, Kairi, I've never crashed a car my entire life. You can trust me. My driver's gonna take almost an hour to get here cause he's at home on break today."

"B - but...I need my car so I can get home after the meet today!"

"..."

Sora's really good at this guilt-tripping thing, isn't he? He's usually never sad, and now he's - ooh, I have a baaaaad feeling - he's really good at puppy eyes, isn't he?

Ahh, _shiiiiit_.

I latch onto his sleeve and tug as we head towards the parking lot. "Let's go."

"Huh?"

"I'll drive."

"But don't you have - ?"

"Shut up, Sora."

Why am I such a nice person?

I spy the bus for our cross-country meet up ahead with Coach Tellah standing by the door. He glances up from his clipboard, raises a hand to wave, but I ignore him and walk right past.

"...KAIRI, WHERE ARE YOU GOING?"

"Sorry Coach!" I exclaim. "Duty calls!"

"Your duty is to the team, not to your _boyfriend_!"

"...he's not - !" begins forming on my tongue, but Sora beats me to responding.

"I'm sorry, this is all my fault! I'll take responsibility!"

"... _why's this happening_ AGAIN?" Coach Tellah bewails.

We round the corner and enter the parking lot. "How're you gonna take responsibility?" I challenge him as I unlock my car and toss my bag in.

He shrugs, hopping into shotgun. "I'll figure it out. I guess I owe you this time, huh?"

"That's true. I didn't even think about that," I say as I turn on the engine. "Is it the hospital next to the mall downtown?"

"Yeah…" Sora sighs, looking out of the window. He seems very distracted - and I guess I understand. I don't know what I'd do if I suddenly found out my mom's at the hospital.

Thank god Mom doesn't get sick often.

Sora's the type that hates silences, so I'm a little alarmed when we run out of things to talk about on the drive. "Uh, whaddaya wanna listen to?" I ask, fiddling with the radio. He still doesn't say anything, so I try to force his hand. "If you don't choose, it's my country pop!"

Still no response? For my ego's sake, I play my CD, listening to familiar acoustic chords that don't seem to bother Sora one bit.

"Does your mom get sick often?" I decide to ask.

I think he isn't going to respond...but after a long pause, he mumbles, "...yeah."

Oh thank god he's talking! He's alive!

"She's...kinda...frail?" Sora continues. "I guess that's the word."

"Really? I never knew that." I picture Mrs. Hikari in my head: dressed immaculately, makeup more on point than I can ever hope, always smiling and cheerful. "Don't worry too much. I mean, it's Mrs. Hikari! She's gotta get back on her feet to host her next party!"

Sora snorts. "True - she was ranting to me last night about the caterer not returning her calls."

"What type of food's she gonna have this time?"

"Japanese."

"Oh my god, can I please drop by?"

"You know my mom. You're always welcome," he says easily. "Just bring your own Tupperware. I was wondering why we were running low, and then I realized…"

"Hey, hey! If you're gonna be generous, go all the way!"

"Generous? Kairi, you have at least $50 worth of Tupperware from us."

"Don't be so stingy, Sora."

"Well don't take advantage of other people's kindness!"

I grin, glad that we're at least speaking. Because even our default bickering is better than the deadly silence from earlier. Sora shouldn't be quiet - he needs to talk, to be heard. Otherwise, a quiet Sora makes me worry. And I don't like worrying about Sora.

Because that itself worries me.

Somehow, I manage to distract Sora with dumb things until we reach the hospital. "You can pull up there," he says, pointing at the curb.

"Excuse me, this isn't a cab service," I say with quite some resentment in my voice. Ignoring him, I head towards the hospital's parking lot instead.

"Why are you parking?" he asks.

"Why are you asking stupid questions? So we can go see your mom, duh. Now looking for a parking spot."

"I mean, you can just drop me off," Sora argues while his eyes roam our surroundings.

"Hey, I drove you all the way here! _And_ I skipped my meet! Don't I get to at least - "

"Oh, there!"

"Nice," I mutter, quickly pulling into the empty spot as the previous car leaves. After parking successfully, I turn off the engine and turn towards Sora to finish my thoughts. "I should get to see your mom, shouldn't I?"

Sora shrugs. "Yeah, I guess? C'mon then." He gets out of the car before I've gathered my things, so it takes me a moment to follow him out.

"Oh, and Kairi."

"Huh?" I look over the car at him.

"Thanks. For everything."

Sentimental Sora is weird too.

"You owe me bigtime - no, you owe me _three bigtimes_."

* * *

Unfortunately, despite my enthusiasm to see Mrs. Hikari, I end up on the stiff chairs in the lobby, waiting for Sora and his mom to finish talking.

Okay, in hindsight, it wasn't completely appropriate for me to crash into Mrs. Hikari's room and bombard her with a bunch of questions. She's probably already very taken aback that she woke up in the hospital - she doesn't need her neighbor's neighbor's daughter bothering her as well. She was pretty surprised to see Sora too.

They had some things to talk about 'as a family,' which I immediately picked up on as my cue to exit stage right.

Well, at least she's okay. She looks a little pale, but that might just be cause she's not wearing makeup like she usually does. The nurse says it was just low blood sugar, so she just needs some bedrest.

So now, I'm stuck with a billion texts from Coach Tellah and a handful from Yuffie. Coach Tellah's texts had started out alright, with ' _Where are you?_ ' and ' _Is everything okay?_ ' But then, they slowly descend into his conspiracy theories, of which include:

' _Did you get injured but you're too afraid to tell me? I won't hold it against you Kairi BUT TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF AND GET INJURED OFF-SEASON!"_

' _By duty, do you mean you enlisted in the army? Kairi that's not why we trained you!'_

' _You aren't eloping with your boyfriend are you? Relationships are okay but DON'T FORGET YOUR PARENTS ELOPING IS BAD!'_

I skim through the series of texts, each as ridiculous as next, until I reach the bottom:

' _Hi Kairi this is Anna. I've managed to calm my dad down, but I think he wants to talk to you tomorrow morning. Anyways, I hope everything's okay and take care!_

 _PS don't listen to him he's so old-fashioned eloping isn't bad'_

Oh dear god. Why does everyone think I'm eloping?

Yuffie's got some normal concerned-team-mom texts and I quickly compose an efficient reply. Just as I hit send, Sora comes out of Mrs. Hikari's room and I dash to his side.

"So - "

"AH!"

I actually startle him and he slams the door shut loudly. Hastily, he opens the door and whispers an apology, and then after quietly closing it, he turns around with a sharp glare.

"Why'd you scare me?"

"Why'd you get scared so easily?" I return. "So is your mom okay?"

Mentioning his mom is always a good way to shift the subject. "Yeah, she's okay. She's gonna stay in the hospital overnight so the doctors can observe her condition, but she's set to be discharged tomorrow."

"Great! Let's go, I'm starving." Sora doesn't argue as he head towards the parking lot and hop into my car. From there, it's easy to make small talk about dinner and whether bolognese trumps alfredo sauce.

(Like Tidus says, red sauce all the waaaaay)

I pull up to the curb outside Sora's house. "Thanks, again, for today," Sora says sincerely. The number of times he's thanked me is making things weird, so I shoo him towards his house. He grins, as if he gets what's irritating me, and is about to get out when he stops and turns around. "Actually, can you come in with me? My mom told me to give you something."

I stare at him, wondering what exactly this thing could be. Curiously, I park my car and unbuckle my seatbelt to step out of the car as well. I follow him through the front yard, up the patio, and into the house.

Without all the party stuff, the house looks much more homey, if that makes sense. The Hikaris renovated the house when they first moved in, so though we're in the same suburb, the layout of their house is completely different from ours. I hang out by the living room near the door, comfortably seated on the sofa while Sora heads towards the kitchen. Ooh, does that mean it's food? I never turn down food.

I hear footsteps coming down the stairs, so I hurriedly jump to my feet and try to look like a polite guest. Even before the person rounds the corner, words are falling out of my mouth.

"Hi, sorry to bother. I'm Kairi O'Hara, I'm Sora's - "

"...fucking O'Hara?"

I pause, for two reasons. One, this boy has a startling resemblance to Sora. It takes me a second to recognize him as Vanitas, Sora's older brother. I don't know much about him, except that he also went to Tremblay High and has a...bad reputation, if you will. Actually, I didn't know he still lives at home.

The second reason is the overwhelming amount of hostility in his voice. I mean, I'm pretty sure he doesn't know me, so why is he shooting daggers with his eyes and snarling in my direction? I don't think I did anything wrong. Again, he doesn't even know me, so why is he treating me like Public Enemy No. 1?

"...give you this, some leftovers from last night - Vanitas?" Sora exclaims as he stumbles upon us. I blink owlishly, a little afraid of his brother's unwavering stare. Slowly, I shift my gaze towards Sora, hoping he'll help me out of the situation here.

"...you're friends with that fucking bastard's sister?" Sora's brother growls, raising his voice and whirling his head in Sora's direction. Sora's eyes widen, out of fear or surprise, I'm not sure. Meanwhile, I'm here drawing my own conclusions. By 'fucking bastard,' is he referring to…?

"Vanitas, what are you doing?" Sora asks calmly, almost in a maternal way. I hesitantly take a step in his direction and away from his brother.

" _I asked you a question!_ " he screams, and I freeze in my steps. I've only heard bad things about Vanitas, and I've never met him in person, but he's just confirming all those rumors now…

"Yes, I'm friends with Kairi," Sora responds almost reluctantly. "Kairi, if you need to go - "

I perk up at that statement. "Yeah, I probably should - "

"You two are fucking gross," Vanitas sneers, his eyes lazily trailing towards me. "And how's the bastard doing? Still fucking around with girls?"

"...what?" I exclaim. "Don't talk about my brother like that!"

Sora sighs. "Kairi, don't - "

"He and his girlfriend have been dating since high school!"

"He - " Vanitas chokes on his words and narrows his eyes on me. "They're _still_ together? Wow, he's better at this player business than I thought! What a fucking _bastard_. _Shit._ She's such a bitch too."

"You don't know anything about them, so shut up!" I shriek. My brother and his girlfriend are great people, and I don't know why Sora's brother gets off on talking about them like that. He just needs to shut the fuck up and mind his own business!

" _You_ shut up _, you_ don't know anything! She's a tease still, isn't she? And he still acts like he's the only person that matters? Oh god, I can't even imagine what it's like now that they're actually _together_. Like, do they go around acting like king and queen of the world? Just do whatever they want and fuck people's lives and go home, and fuck each other, and then fuck other people, and fuck whatever they want, cause they're just fucking - "

"What the _hell_ is _your_ problem - "

"Kairi - _Kairi,_ let's go," Sora says. In a few wide steps, he's by my side, ushering me out of the door. Vanitas rounds up on me with spite and rancor in every word he hurls my way, but I hold my ground pretty well against him. My nose twitches as a foul scent enters my nostrils - I don't have time to think about it before Sora pushes me out into the crisp evening air and shuts the door.

In the evening quiet, all I hear is the wind rustling leaves and my heavy breathing.

"...I'm sorry about that," Sora apologizes. "My brother, he - he's not okay."

"Yeah, no shit!" I shriek. Remembering we're already in the suburbs, I look around sheepishly. No mad neighbors yet. "What," I say at an appropriate volume, "the hell was that?"

"Just ignore what he said," Sora suggests. "Chances are, he's high."

"...like on drugs?" I ask tentatively. Actually that makes sense, and that explains the strange stench I smelled on him just now.

Sora shrugs. "Like I said, he isn't okay. Just - sorry you had to see that. I probably shouldn't have let you in - oh, here's what my mom wanted me to give you." He stuffs two Tupperwares in my hands and grins nervously. "They're leftovers from last night - it's Greek food."

"Oh my god! I love Greek food!" Food quickly distracts me, though the anger doesn't immediately dissipate. "Wait, so does your brother know my brother?"

Sora shrugs. "Maybe? He went to Tremblay too, right?"

"Yeah. He sounded like he knows my brother's girlfriend too...I mean, the two of them both went to Tremblay, so maybe they were all classmates?"

"Vanitas dropped out though," Sora says and then abruptly cuts himself off, as if he's spoken too much. He clears his throat. "Anyways, sorry you had to see that. And thanks, again, for today."

"Oh, don't worry, this more than makes up for it," I say, raising the Tupperware in my hands. "See you tomorrow, Sora."

"Yeah, see you tomorrow."

I leave Sora's house with more questions than answers. And though I'm tempted to just gorge on lamb gyro and hummus like there's no tomorrow...Vanitas' words still bother me.

How the hell does Vanitas know my brother?

* * *

 **A/N: oooooooooops. hi.**

 **Hellohello, I understand from the drop in views and reviews (sniffsniff) that my inconsistent update schedule is very frustrating to you all. And I've learned to not make promises, but the one promise I will make is that I will never give up! My last story took 3 years to write, but I eventually came through! And even now, when I'm supposed to be studying for the MCATs, I've decided to take a breather (read: procrastinate even more) and write for you all! So, for new and old readers alike: be warned! I am known for my fickle updates! But I've never left a story hanging either.**

 **As for this chapter... #subplot #subplot #subplot. Oh, and unedited. Oh, and excuse the crude language, I'm still not quite sure what I'm going with for Vanitas in here. Oh, and ohmigod, more characters, you say? Yes! Because I love all my characters, and there's nothing like a well-rounded cast to introduce you to Kairi's _iridescent_ world! See what I did there?**

 **Anywaaaays, Clogallie signing off with much love. And I promise, I will be back!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter TWELVE**

Cross-country checklist:

\- Additional training: Coach recommended interval training / fartlek, tempo runs, progressive runs  
\- CORE WORKOUTS (remember: Yuffie's abs are #goals)  
\- Bananas bananas bananas  
\- Hit weekly mileage - which means must run outside of practice…  
\- Do not miss the next meet, or I think Coach will seriously cut me. Literally. Jokes...I hope.

* * *

"MOOOOOM! Where are my keys?"

"I didn't touch them!" she hollers from across the room in the kitchen, stashing a prepacked lunch into her bag. "Where'd you leave them last night?"

Last night...I try to recall what I did after I got back yesterday, but morning fatigue clinging to my consciousness makes it hard for my brain to function. "ARGH!" I groan, flipping through all the pockets in my bag.

"Do you need a ride?" Mom offers. "I think I have time...right, my meeting starts at 10."

"Yeah, could you - oh!" I triumphantly fish out the keychain from the depths of my bag. No clue how it ended up there - actually, I have a semblance of a clue, but anyways. "Thanks Mom. I wanna grab coffee before school starts."

"Okay, well, have a nice day! I won't be back till after dinner, so heat up the leftovers or eat out."

"Again? I'm getting sick of instant noodles."

"Then you can eat out with your friend! I'm sorry, work's been so crazy, and ever since I got back from the business trip, my boss just has even more expectations..."

"Dad's not even back yet! You're gonna leave me home alone?"

"I'm sure you're smart enough to figure out how to fend off any bandits that invade our house."

"But Mom - "

"Oh, sorry, I gotta take this. Hello?"

When Mom puts on her Business Voice, that's my cue to skedaddle, cause she isn't going to pay me any attention short of me breaking an arm. Grabbing an apple, I dash out the front door with a mumbled, "Bye Mom" that I don't think she heard.

As my mom's said before, "work sucks. Get good grades so you can land a nice job where you don't have to work so hard."

Yeah, I'm still stuck on the 'get good grades' part.

I'm mentally calculating whether I have time to also get a bagel at my usual coffee place, so I almost miss the person waiting on the other side of my car.

"Hey."

"Hey - whoa!" I take a step back, eyes warily regarding his silhouette against the morning sun. "What are you doing here, Sora?"

Sora grins. "I'm here to take responsibility."

"What? Dude, I need to get to school." I open the door on my side and hesitate for a moment. "You're not catching a ride with me, are you?"

Sora beams like he isn't doing anything wrong - which I guess he isn't, but…what's he doing here? I'm so confused...I'm not missing out on anything, right? No, cause it's impossible I _asked_ to meet him first thing in the morning.

But figuring that out is less important than getting my coffee, so I let Sora on the car and step on the engine. "So, what are you doing here?" I ask again once we're on our way.

"I said, I'm taking responsibility."

"So what does that mean?" I take a sharp turn, which makes Sora grasp for the handle on the roof of the car.

"You - _there's a car on the left_!" he exclaims urgently, head darting back.

"I see it," I calmly respond, stepping on the gas to speedily lane shift anyways.

"Where are you going?" he asks.

"Oh. To get coffee. I need my morning caffeine hit or else I'm gonna fall asleep by the end of first period." I narrow my eyes at him. "You still haven't told me why you were standing outside my door like a stalker."

"Hey, you know that I know where you live, right?"

"Yeah, but still, you're not exactly who I want to see first thing in the morning."

In response, Sora remains silent.

Very smoothly, I turn into the small plaza and park my car before heading towards my usual coffeeshop. "Okay, Sora, it's too early for my brain to function. What's your point?"

"...so, you know how I owe you for making you miss your meet? Well, I figured out how I'm gonna make it up to you."

"Oh, okay, how?" I ask. Thankfully, the line isn't long, but I don't think I'll have time for a bagel. Those pastries look really good though…

"I figured, Coach is making us schedule conditioning on our own time, so why don't we work out together?"

"Oh, okay, when? One latte, and can I get that blueberry muffin? Thanks."

"Cool! Hey, can I also get an iced Americano?" Sora chirps.

"Hey, I'm not paying for you!" I complain, handing over a crisp bill. "I'm broke enough as it is."

"Calm down, I"ll pay you back. It's $2, right?"

"With tax and tip!" I remind him as I grab the receipt and my pastry from the cashier. We head towards the pickup area to wait while I munch on my blueberry muffin. The lull in conversation reminds me to continue probing, "what were you saying?"

"Uh, I was thinking mornings? Cause otherwise it's hard to work around our afterschool activities - "

"Wait, what are you talking about?"

Sora looks at me. "I said, we could work out together, and you said yes."

I choke on a crumb. Death by blueberry muffin is not how I want to go. "What? No!" I exclaim.

Sora gives me a weird look. "You just said yes."

"Hey, anything I say before 10 in the morning is off the record. Stop taking advantage of me while I'm uncaffeinated."

"O-kay...so why'd you change your mind?"

Making sure I properly swallow this time before speaking, I chew thoroughly and then look Sora in the eye. "That just...doesn't make any sense. Why would I work out with you?"

"Uh, how does it make no sense? We both need to condition anyways. And why not? Research shows having a partner boosts productivity - "

"I don't care what research shows - I just don't get why I'd work out with _you_."

I await a quick, witty reply from Sora but instead, all he has to offer is silence. Which makes me nervous - what can he possibly be thinking?

"...I'm just trying to return a favor," he mumbles so quietly I almost miss it. Before I get a chance to respond, the barista calls out my name and hands us our drinks. I take a long, thoughtful sip of my latte, watching Sora do the same.

Ahh...glad to be caffeinated.

"Or I guess you can't keep up," Sora mutters between sips.

Death by latte is also not the way to go - but actually...ahem, anyways. After clearing my throat, I look at him incredulously. "Excuse me?"

Sora shrugs. "We do different drills for conditioning, right? You've probably never done our drills before."

"How different can conditioning drills get? Hell, my whole sport is basically conditioning. _Anything_ you do, I can."

"All you do is run for long stretches - but we have to practice our endurance and sprinting." Is he boasting? He's so goddamn cocky when it comes to his sport. He acts like it's the greatest thing on the world.

"So? That's basically interval training, right?" I snort. "We do the exact same thing!"

"You'd probably outlast me in a race, but you're not gonna sprint faster than me."

"I'll have you choking in a runner's dust, Sora."

"Prove it."

"Prove - okay, _bring it_ , Sora," I boldly proclaim. An eager smirk rushes to his face.

"Okay, tomorrow morning 7am at the park?" he proposes. The mere thought of being awake at 7 makes me mentally balk, but it's as if the glint in Sora's eyes is daring me to back down. Why would I back out of a challenge I know I won't lose?

" _You're on_."

* * *

God, someone turn that alarm _off_.

Like most people, I have a love-hate relationship with my alarm. It's sorta like my relationship with my parents, actually. Most of the times, when they're being loud, I get really annoyed that they're making me do things I don't wanna, but in hindsight, I can see everything's for my own good.

Wow. Quite the philosopher at 6:30am.

I snooze a few times and start to hate the upbeat song I've chosen as my alarm. Shutting it off, I sit up in my bed and draw a deep breath. My entire body says no, slip back under the covers, you can sleep another hour…

But then the thought of Sora gloating over me makes my eyelids fly open as I rest my feet on the ground.

God, I hate Sora.

Grabbing my prepacked bag, I drag my feet to the bathroom and splash some water on my face to wake me up. Okay, I'll admit, staying up till 2am marathoning the last episodes of _Smash Doctors_ was a bad idea...but I just wanted to see the main leads get their happy ending that they deserve!

Sighing heavily, I trudge back to my room and toss on a random pair of shorts and shirt. Stuffing my keys and phone into a small bag, I check the time and realize I'm gonna be late. In the kitchen, I grab a banana and bottle of water before booking it out of there.

God, why the hell's it so _cold_ too? I've literally never been awake at this hour of the day since...years. God _dammit_ , Sora.

The entire way to the park, I'm only shivering and cursing Sora under my breath - lovely. So by the time I get to the park, I'm a very grumpy camper.

Sora's there already bouncing a ball on his knees. When he sees me, he waves friendlily enough, but my foul mood just makes my frown deepen.

"Hey! You look like you just woke up and didn't have breakfast," Sora comments lightly.

"Wow, gold star for you," I return. "See, I made it. So, what're you gonna do today?"

Sora shrugs. "Was just gonna do some laps. I haven't worked out in awhile so I'm taking it easy."

My response is a very unladylike snort. But I'm hungry and tired so I don't give a damn. "Sure. I'll warm up and do interval training."

"Wow, first thing in the morning?" Sora asks as we start the first lap. The cold is really getting to me - I should've worn something thicker, or maybe brought a hat - so I grunt in response and keep to myself for the rest of our warm-up.

It's funny watching Sora stretch though. He does the same stretches we did in elementary and middle school soccer, which I'd totally forgot about until seeing him now. When my eyes catch his, my first instinct is to look away, but he makes a face at me so I just laugh instead.

"Alright, I'm getting cold again so I'm gonna just start jogging," Sora says, jumping to his feet. "How are you gonna keep track of time for interval training?"

I shrug. "I'll probably just sprint and rest every other 100 meters," I figure.

"But you're lazy so you're just gonna slow down."

"Am not!" I protest hotly. Why does he have to state it so matter-of-factly? "Besides, I have an idea of my pace."

"I can call out the time for you," Sora proposes. "I have my watch."

"What, you're just gonna holler across the field?"

"The field's not that big. Are you doing 30 seconds sprint, 1 minute jogs?"

Just the thought of the workout makes my body sigh tiredly. "...yeah," I mumble, signing off on my death sentence.

Sora smirks, raising his hand with a watch. "Okay. Ready, get set - "

"Go!" I exclaim, wanting to beat him to the chase. Sprinting off ahead of him, I decide he can choke in my dust, the dust of a real cross-country athlete. His endurance has got nothing on mine.

Thirty minutes later, the story's a little different.

"Oh, Kairi!" Sora exclaims from behind me. "Fancy seeing you, _again_!"

"Shut... _up_ …" I grumble between heaving breaths. I hate him I hate him so much, so much, like, how's he still smiling after laps and laps around the field…?

"Time to sprint!" he adds in cheekily. I resist the urge to curse (because now that'll only waste my breath) and begrudgingly pick up the pace so it's just a little faster than my 'jog.' Well, to be honest, my 'jog' is more of a fast walk now, and my sprint's what my jog should be. But we've been at this for awhile and I'm dead tired and did I mention how much I hate Sora?

"Kai, your sprint's slower than my jog," Sora points out astutely. No one asked for your _fucking opinion_ , Sora.

"Shut up," I summarize my thoughts succinctly, but just to prove it to him, I pick up my pace enough so the distance between us starts growing again. Slowly. Verryyyyy slowly…

When we finally reach the place we started from, I decide that's all I can do today. "I'm done, I'm done," I insist, wobbling towards my backpack and water bottle. I basically collapse onto the ground, yearning for a rest of some sort, because with Sora's annoying voice yapping off every other minute, I might've pushed myself a little harder than I'm used to.

"Phew! That was good for the first workout!" he exclaims, proudly standing tall over me. I look up and raise a hand to block out the sun. For some reason, the one thing I can think is how comfortable he looks here. Like if there's such a place as Sora's place, it's here: with his self-satisfied smirk and sweat-glistening forehead, proudly looking over what he's accomplished.

Meanwhile, I'm here sprawled on the grass, drowning myself with water like there's no tomorrow. Yeah, not so sightly.

"I still have practice today," I complain, shutting my eyes and lying down on my back. The grass is kinda soft, and it's pretty comfortable just soaking in the sun and resting after an exhausting workout.

I peer open an eyelid and notice Sora plop down next to me on his butt. I rest my head back down, looking up at the sky. I'm not really big on the whole 'silence' thing between people, but with the morning quietness, the silence feels comfortable between us. For once, I don't feel the need to fill up the space with meaningless words.

Probably cause I'm just too tired.

"You ever wonder why you do sports?" Sora asks out of the blue.

I blink, my brain struggling to function after a long period of inactivity. "Yeah...why're you asking?" I turn the tables on him.

He shrugs, looking away from me at the far distance. "Cause I just realized, I think this is why I play sports - _this moment_. When after everything's over, I'm just glad I got to forget about life for awhile."

"So you don't play sports cause it's fun, you play to escape from your life? That's kinda sad."

"I mean, if you think about it objectively, how are sports fun?" Sora shrugs. "You run till your lungs are dying and you can't feel your legs. You chase a ball around the grass, or in your case, you literally are just making yourself run in circles and circles. What's the fun in that?"

In my heart, I want to call out his bullshit, but I can't debate with Sora at this hour in the morning after all that running we did. So I keep quiet and let his words fill the silence.

"And like, sure you scored more goals than last time or you ran faster than before. But what does that actually mean? Nothing, you know? You're just doing it to prove to yourself you can actually do it. No one else actually cares."

"Fans care," I manage to come up with.

"Fans care when you win," Sora says. "I don't know what's worse - when they hate you or when they ignore you when you lose."

"Okay, you're right, people do that," I concede. "But...are you saying you aren't having any fun when you're playing soccer?"

"I don't know," Sora admits. "I mean, I feel like I'm having fun, but why? My dad asked me the other day," he explains, "and he pointed out how there's no objective purpose to playing soccer. It's not like I'm gonna go pro or anything."

"S'not like I'm aiming for the Olympics either," I point out. "But I still run."

"Then why do you do cross-country?"

"...I don't know," I confess. I mean, my brain isn't completely functioning at 7:30am. "I just - I always have. I've always been a runner. What happens when I stop running?"

 _What happens when I stop running?_ Good question indeed.

Sora simply shrugs. Of course, if I don't have an answer, how would he?

Sora looks...sad. Which is a weird look on him. So I reach over and slap him on the back. He's a little startled and turns around with surprise written on his face.

"...sorry, I don't know what I was gonna say," I backtrack, suddenly feeling my prepared words of encouragement sound trite and meaningless. "I guess that's a good question."

"I was gonna say, your question's valid too," Sora says. "What will happen when we stop running?"

Sora's also a little too thoughtful for post-early morning workout. I'm not used to anything outside of him and that dumb smile he always wears. "I don't know...but maybe that's okay," I conclude, jumping to my feet. "S'not like we have to have all the answers at 16, right?"

I turn around, extending a hand to help Sora up. He looks up curiously, sorta like a lost child.

But finally, he smiles and takes my hand.

* * *

 **A/N: SoKai fluff! Regular updates! What more can you ask for?**

 **(You can ask for more, ask away and ye shall [probably] receive.)**

 **Transitions in relationships are always hard for me. Did you find this shift sudden and abrupt? I'm trying really hard to 'show, not tell' the changes, but let me know which parts can use some revision.**

 **And in the next chapter...one of the subplots will finally reach its climax. Yay-yeah. I swear I have an outline...that's really messy...but going somewhere...!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter THIRTEEN**

Workout plan \- _for Kairi_ **and Sora** _cause let's be real we lazy af and need to keep ourselves accountable_

\- Monday: _core workout_ **aiming for dem abs ic** _just dealing with this food baby_  
\- Tuesday: _rest day_ **seriously?** _OK fine interval or progressive, depending on my mood_ _  
_\- Wednesday: **rest day** _seriously?_ **we have team training Wednesdays after school. coach makes us run suicides** _okk I'll give you that_ **  
**\- Thursday: _STAIRS_ **where the heck are we gonna do that** _the apartment building a few blocks away_ **that building's 10 stories tall**  
\- Friday: _fartlek aka I pwn Sora_ **is that a challenge?** _please I don't consider you a challenge_ **  
**\- Saturday: _tempo runs. can we meet at 10?_ **lazy.** _I'll take it you mean both of us  
_ \- Sunday: _REST DAY IT'S SUNDAY YOU CAN'T TAKE THIS FROM ME_ **yeah rest day**

 _are we really gonna do this?  
_ **you're backing out already?  
** _PLEASE I'm just making sure you're mentally prepared  
_ **ready when you are  
** _alright let's do this_

* * *

"You totally slacked off towards the end."

"What?" I scoff, rolling my eyes. "If anything, _you_ were slowing down!"

"Of course I was! That was my cool-down lap!"

"You totally skimped on mileage then! There's no way you could've run 4 miles in less than 30 minutes!"

"Please, Kairi, just cause you can't - "

"I can't _yet_!"

" - doesn't mean I can't."

"You liar!"

"Hey, you don't have any proof!"

"Well, Sora, you can lie to everyone else but you can't lie to yourself!"

I take another sip of my coffee and pause in the hallway. "I just realized...did you put something in my drink?"

"Huh? No, I got your usual."

"Usual?" I stick out my hand with the drink towards him. "There's nothing usual about this coffee."

"What? You always get a medium iced latte."

"Yeah, but something tastes funny. You try it!"

Sora takes a sip. "Tastes fine to me," he says and then makes a face. "On second thought, too milky."

"No duh, it's a latte! I'm not talking about that. There's something weird about this drink," I repeat, holding it up to observe from every angle possible. "Just tell me, Sora, before I figure it out myself."

"Oh, I remember! They were still restocking and I didn't want to wait for them to get the whole milk so I got you a soy latte," he says, picking up his pace again.

"Eww!" I exclaim, following after him. "Why'd you get me a soy latte?" We enter homeroom together, smoothly making our way to our seats.

"Cause, I just said...they ran out of whole milk? Plus, there's a whole lot of benefits to soy milk. Just ask Naminé," he says, turning towards her. "Good morning, Naminé."

"Good morning, Sora," Naminé mimics with a smile. "Ask me what?"

"The benefits of soy milk," he says, gesturing towards her. "I know you always substitute normal milk with soy."

"Oh, for me it's just texture. It tastes smoother."

"It tastes weird to me," I interrupt. "Stick with whole milk next time, will you? I'm not paying for this."

"Sure, like you haven't paid me for about half the drinks so far…"

"Hey, that one time basically half the drink was ice! And another time all the ice melted by the time I got to drink it. Then one time you - "

"Okay, okay, sure, just pay me when I bring the perfect drink. _You're welcome_ for picking up your coffee first thing in the morning."

"Who told my favorite coffee shop to be closer to your place?" I smile, patting Sora on the head.

"I'm not a dog, Kairi."

"No. You're more like a servant."

"Oh, so at least I'm human."

"You're welcome."

I roll my eyes and take my seat as Sora heads off towards his. And I have to catch myself - why am I smiling ridiculously after spending the wee hours of the morning with him? I mean, I guess I should give him some credit: he's pretty good at encouragements when I'm dying on the track, and he can be kinda sorta funny sometimes.

Just sometimes.

"You're always early these days," Naminé comments, drawing her arms together. "Actually, I think you were earlier than me once!"

"That's cause you're slacking off!" I tease, taking another sip of my latte. Though the soy milk is throwing me off a little, it's not entirely bad per se. I'm a fake coffee enthusiast - as long as I get my caffeine one way or another, I'll be happy.

"And you always come in with Sora..." Naminé adds perceptively. I really hope I just imagined all the nuances in her words and she actually spoke quite monotonously.

"Huh? Oh, right, did I tell you? I'm dragging his lazy ass out of bed in the mornings for conditioning."

Naminé levels a stare at me, so I take back my words.

"Okay, so he's dragging _my_ lazy ass out of bed. He says he needs to condition anyways, and it's easier to train with someone else, so it all works out."

"Okay…" Naminé says, clearly unconvinced. But I just repeated what Sora told me! "I never thought I'd see the day Kairi O'Hara voluntarily spend time with Sora Hikari."

Oh, I see where she's going with this. "Don't tease me!" I exclaim, whacking her playfully while Naminé giggles.

"What'd you say last time...oh, 'why's _he_ here?'" Naminé mimics in a high-pitched voice that does _not_ resemble mine. "I was so worried you two were gonna actually fight in the mall!"

"You're exaggerating. Sora and I...we're - we're cool now." It's a little weird realizing how different things are now and a few months ago.

"So you like him?" Naminé asks.

I whirl towards her with wide eyes. "Wha - what are you saying? Don't even think that!"

"C'mon, Kairi!" Naminé laughs. "You sure you don't like him? I mean, you wake up early in the morning _just_ to see him."

"No, Naminé," I correct sternly, "we're just at the same place at the same time." Okay, that sounds a little apathetic. "He's helping me out cause I have another meet coming up."

"Okay, whatever you say...oh, that's right, I forgot to ask how the last meet went!"

Err…

I didn't realize I've been keeping all these things about Sora a secret from Naminé - I swear not on purpose. I just - the topic of Sora doesn't naturally come up between us, so I never get around to telling her the whole story. It's not like I'm intentionally keeping things from her.

"Yeah, so…" I begin, drawing a deep breath, but then as if on cue, our homeroom teacher yells at us to quiet down so he can take attendance. Phew, dodged one there!

 _What exactly am I dodging? Why am I making such a big deal out of this?_

It's easy to push these thoughts to the back of my mind with the hustle-bustle of the day. As usual, I fall back on my mantra in life:

Don't overthink things.

* * *

"...and you still owe me ice cream."

"What? You can't just make stuff up, Tidus." I roll my eyes, though I should already be used to his shameless behavior by now.

"What? You don't remember that time I bought you ice cream? It was like 2 weeks ago!"

I'm about to outright deny anything and everything when his words prompt an inkling of a memory. Okay, so maybe I do sorta kinda remember that happening. But…!

"Hey, I drove you to and back from school for three days! That gas money is more than enough to buy 3 ice creams!"

"Wow, Kairi, I thought you did it out of the kindness of your heart."

"Ditto, man."

"Okay, fine. Don't you have anything better to do right now?"

I sigh, eyes glossing over Tidus' laptop screen. He's playing whatever game is hot right now while chilling in the general hangout area by the lockers, which is how I found him. I have about 15 minutes before cross-country practice, so there's nothing in particular for me to do.

"Can't you be a little more entertaining? I'm trying to talk with you here."

Tidus' head doesn't even flinch. "About?"

"...fine, I'm just trying to kill time. Better?"

"No, but I'll give you points for honesty."

"Ditto. Hey, you're gonna die."

"What?" The clicking and taps across his keyboard instantly accelerate. "Don't scare me, Kairi, I'm still alive."

"Then what's that flashing red bar?"

"That just means I'm low on resources! Don't talk about things you don't know."

I make a stink face at him. "Just trying to help, jeez."

There's a lull in our conversation, the sound of rapid mouse clicks being the only sounds occupying the silence. But it's a comfortable, a rare-sought moment with Tidus after everything, so I figure there's nothing wrong with just mindlessly sitting here basking in the ambience.

What's that saying? Oh right - good things never last.

"Hey Tidus, hey Kairi."

Tidus' eyes briefly flicker away from his laptop, then as if realizing who is speaking to us, he turns to give his full undivided attention. "Oh, hey Selphie!" he says, scooting towards me to make room on the bench for her.

I swallow, watching silently as Selphie takes a seat. Peering over at his laptop screen, she frowns upon seeing what Tidus is up to. "Gaming again? Is that what you do everyday afterschool?"

"N - no!" Tidus stammers. I crack a smile, cause it's kinda fun watching Tidus get grilled. But then when they digress into talking about plans for the weekend, I take it as my cue to get the hell out of there.

My hand freezes midway reaching towards my bag when Selphie calls out, "Where are you going, Kairi?"

Never one to mince her words, Selphie smiles at me like there's nothing wrong with the situation. My eyes narrow suspiciously, wondering why she's being so nosy about my life.

"Away," I reply succinctly, reminding myself to keep things brief with Selphie so I don't accidentally say the wrong thing. _Please don't say anything else, please don't say anything else…_

"Oh. Is it cause I'm here?"

W-O-W. Are we really doing this here? "That's a loaded question," I return.

"I'm just looking for an answer. Are you still avoiding me, Kairi? I thought you were fine with everything - " I choke on my laugh, which isn't the smartest thing to do but what can I say? It's an involuntary action. "Okay…" Selphie continues hesitantly, "I guess I was assuming things. Sooooo, you still hate us?"

"Don't just say it like that," I frown. "You make it sound like I'm the unreasonable one."

Selphie gives me a look as if saying she's not gonna dignify that with a response. Wait a sec -

"You don't still think I'm being unreasonable, do you?" I look from her to Tidus and then back. "Seriously? I've known you since elementary school, Selphie. But you chose _Tidus_ over me."

Selphie narrows her eyes. "Is this what everything's about? The fact that your ego can't stand coming in second in anything - "

"This isn't about me!" I shriek, correcting her immediately. "It's about what _you_ chose to do to me - to _us_."

"I didn't choose Tidus because, or in spite, or - or for any reason related to you! God, Kairi, of course you'd find a way to make everything about yourself - "

"Are you calling me selfish?"

"No, I'm just saying that this doesn't have _anything_ to do with you! So why would you insert yourself into it?"

"Stop trying to justify everything, you choose to do what you did and - "

We're in a full-blown shouting match in the middle of the locker area now, though thankfully there aren't a lot of people around at this awkward hour after school. Cause this ain't a pretty sight. Months of unspoken words and buried tensions erupt just like that, cause Selphie pricked at the surface and trying to wait out the problem didn't work. I still can't believe - she doesn't think she did _anything_ wrong?

"You _used_ me!" I exclaim. "You were just using me to get to Tidus, didn't you?"

Selphie's breath catches in her throat. She opens her mouth but no words come out. It takes a moment for her to speak again.

"Is - is that what you really think? That I hung out with you _for_ _8 fucking years_ just cause of Tidus?"

The ferocity of her voice makes me recoil. "I - what do I know? How do I know why you wanted to hang out with me? You're making me question _everything_!"

"If that's what you really think about me...then I don't know why I'm still trying."

Trying what? Before I can ask, Selphie stands up and walks off. I'm trying to gather my thoughts and develop a comeback, but she's gone before I can say anything.

This is _so frustrating._ Why can't she see things from my perspective? How can I trust _anything_ she's done when it seems like she's had an ulterior motive all along?

"You're fucking stupid, Kairi."

I bristle at the association of me and having a low intellect. " _Excuse me?_ " I hiss, turning towards that dumbass Tidus. Except now his expression's a little more serious, like -

Oh. He wants to Talk.

"Did you really think that? That Selphie became friends with you just to - to get closer to me or whatever? Do you really think _anyone_ would do that for 8 years?"

When he and Selphie put it like that, it's a little hard to swallow. "What do I know, huh? I mean, it's not like she'd tell me."

"You know what, this whole pretend-it-never-happened thing isn't working, okay? I thought you needed time or space to process everything, cause we did spring things on you all of a sudden, but it's been _months_ and you still haven't thought about it, have you?"

"What? Wait, I didn't bring it up cause I thought you didn't _want_ me to bring it up! You were the one ignoring everything!"

"What? Hello, I tried talking about it so many times - "

"When, huh? When'd you actually want to talk about it?"

"Shit, I don't remember exactly when!"

"You're just making this up! Stop accusing me of everything!"

"Seriously, I don't think I can do this whole charades thing anymore. Either we work things out, or I don't think I can stand the tension hanging over us while we pretend everything didn't happen."

I stare at Tidus in disbelief. Slowly, my mind wraps itself around his words. "You're...choosing her?"

"Goddammit Kairi, we're not picking anyone over you! Seriously, you need to get over yourself and then maybe we can talk with you."

 _Let me know when you pull your head out of your ass. Then we can talk!_

I can't believe it. It was just Selphie at first but now - Tidus is betraying me too. They don't care about me - not anymore, or maybe they never did.

I draw a deep breath and raise walls so high they won't be able to see inside my heart. "You two are gonna break up," I say with the steadiest voice I can muster, "and then you'll realize you're both making a huge mistake."

Tidus sighs exasperatedly. "Right, and I'll be sure to let you know." With that, he slides his laptop into his bag and walks off.

I clench my hands into tight fists, wondering what I'm supposed to do now. There's this bottomless pit of rage pooling in my stomach, and - what, I'm supposed to just grin it and bear it? I'm supposed to just take all these accusations of my character and people using me and accept this is part of life?

No! I'm goddamn _mad_ and _this isn't fair._

Flipping out my phone, I dial Naminé's number and pray silently she'll pick up. Meanwhile, I'm feeling a little exposed in this public space, so I grab my things and head outside to an isolated corner of the school where there's no one at this time.

"...hello? Kairi?"

"Naminé where are you?"

"Oh, I'm already home. My dad wants to have dinner with his friend and cause they have a child my age, so of course he's forcing me to tag along - "

"Do you know what Selphie just said to me?"

"...what happened, Kairi?"

That's all the invitation I need. So I proceed to spill my guts to Naminé, about everything that happened in the last 15 minutes and how dumb Selphie and Tidus are and how mad I am at them and everything and how things in life right now are just _so_ _fucked up_.

* * *

 **A/N: Yay for SoKai fluff! Yay for conflicts! Yay for plot progression! (I know you're thinking, about time.)**

 **Thanks for bearing with me through midterms - now I have no exams till November! Which means hopefully a regular biweekly update schedule while I try to catch up on other things in #life (s** **orry I still don't know how to use hashtags).**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter FOURTEEN**

Who I should befriend \- _cause now Selphie and Tidus hate me forever, and Naminé can't be my only friend_

\- Mom & Dad? _Nah they're too busy. And who's actually friends with their parents? Pshh lame  
_ \- Yuna? _She seems close with Tidus though_  
\- Big bro? _He's probably having way too much fun in college  
_ \- Sora? _Wait we're already friends...right?_

 **Conclusion: I have 2 friends: Naminé and Sora** **. Guess that's not bad...**

* * *

If I had to give an award for Best Listener, I'd undoubtedly give it to Naminé.

As besties are oft to do, Naminé listens to my 1 hour 32 minute rant (according to my phone call duration) about everything and anything wrong with my life. She knows how to console me best, having helped me through a handful of stressful situations in the past few years. However, I am a little miffed she has to leave before I'm done.

"I'm really sorry, Kairi," she apologizes, "my dad's getting kinda impatient...and of course dinner with his friend is more important than my feelings."

I sniff. "No it's okay, I took up like an hour of your time. Have a good dinner."

"...don't overthink it, okay?" she murmurs. "Take care of yourself and make sure you get some rest. You deserve a break. I mean, it's Friday."

I exhale deeply, deciding to take Naminé's words to heart. "Yeah, you're right. Thanks a ton, Naminé. I don't know what I'd do without you."

She chuckles sweetly. "Complain to someone else?"

"Who else would I talk to? The only other friends I have are Tidus and Selphie, who I'm currently mad at. My mom's too busy and my dad doesn't get what's going on. I can only talk to you."

"...well, I'm always here for you. I mean, I guess when my dad isn't controlling my life - "

I laugh at Naminé's evident reluctance to go to this dinner. "It'll be fancy food, so don't complain too much. I'd go for you if I could!"

"Oh, you don't wanna sit through dinner with my dad. Like all he talks about is the economy."

"I guess that's...good to know?"

"Well, I'll see if I can get you a seat next time. Sorry, I really have to go."

"No, it's okay, go! I'll see you Monday."

"Right, we can pick this up then. Bye Kairi!"

After hanging up, I do feel marginally better. Checking the time, I realize there's no point in going to cross-country practice now. I make a mental note to prepare an excuse for Coach Tellah and Yuffie, but given all the extra training I do outside of regular practices, I think I'll be fine. I guess I just have to bring home results at the next meet to prove myself.

I take Naminé's advice and head home, deciding to take a break tonight. Which involves eating dinner and snacks while finishing _Smash Doctors_ , cause it's nice to see that there are people suffering more than me - jokes. Kinda. Not really.

After wasting hours watching cat videos, browsing memes, and engaging in entertaining activity of the like, I decide to call it a night at 1 a.m. Not bad, considering I usually sleep around 2.

My body takes the extra hour of slumber to mean this is my chance to catch up on all the sleep debt I've accumulated since the start of school (which is probably a 3-digit number of hours by now). So I snooze through my morning alarm clock, figuring my break from life includes skipping morning conditioning practice.

However, Sora doesn't get the telepathic message.

Of course, all people ever do is let me down.

Jokes - I know I'm _a little_ unreasonable at the wee hours in the morning.

I groan when my phone rings, contemplating how to kill said person while reaching for the buzzing device on my nightstand. "What?" I hiss as I pick up.

"...did you just wake up?"

"I can't do this now, Sora, it's - " I check the time on my phone, " - 10:15. Call me back in 3 hours."

"Wait, we were supposed to meet 10 minutes ago!"

I draw a deep breath and exhale sharply. I'm in a bad mood, but I don't wanna take it out on Sora. "Now's...not a good time, Sora. Let's cancel today."

"...okay, well, give me a heads up next time," he grumbles, yielding quickly. "I couldn't go to breakfast with my mom cause of you."

Despite the remnants of sleep fatigue clinging to my consciousness, and though people think I'm not in tune with my own feelings (courtesy of 8th grade Selphie), I do realize I'm being a bitch to Sora. What can I say? I'm becoming more self-aware. Plus, his guilt trip works a little too well.

"I'm hungry," I declare. "Are you hungry?"

"Huh? Uh, yeah, I guess. I just had a granola bar for breakfast."

"Wanna grab food?"

"...now? I thought you said it's not a good time."

Is he mocking me or actually buying my lame ass excuse? Either way, I feel a little worse. I never meant for him to sacrifice quality mother-son time for me.

"It's not a good time for practice, but it's never not a good time for food," I chuckle. "C'mon. I'll pay."

"Okay...I mean, I'm not gonna say no to free food."

"Great. Let's meet at the diner on Waver Street in 30 minutes."

"30 minutes? It takes 5 minutes to drive over from your place!"

"I need to get ready, Sora!"

"Oh, so that's why it's not a good time for practice? Cause you just woke up?"

Wow, he's gonna hold that against me when I already offered to pay? I thought the stomach is the way to a boy's heart. Uh, I meant that platonically.

"Okay, sheesh, I'll be there in 20," I return.

"I'm ordering in 15 before it gets too busy. So get here before then if you wanna have a say."

"God, fine!" Not wanting to waste another minute, I hang up on him. Rushing through my morning routine so he doesn't order a full-course meal or something, I'm actually ready to go in less than 10 minutes. New record!

From the living room couch, Dad notices my eagerness to leave the house. "You heading out?" he asks, looking up from the TV.

"Yeah, grabbing food with a friend."

"Naminé?"

"No, Sora. I don't think you know him."

"...oh. Well, have fun! I'm heading in to the office for a few hours today, but I should be back for dinner!"

I hold back a sigh and a spiteful comment about the likelihood he'll miss dinner. With a crisp, "Bye dad," I dash out of the house, more concerned with stopping Sora from ordering everything on the menu (who knows where teenage boys put all the food they can eat?).

Like Sora says, it only takes 5 minutes for me to drive over to the diner. When I step inside, the place is bustling with chitchat and brunch activity. Even so, it isn't hard to locate the absolute mess that's Sora's hair.

As I approach, I notice a server by the table with an order pad in hand. "Did you want to order now, or do you still need another few minutes?" he asks Sora.

"Actually - "

"I'm here!" I chirp, sliding smoothly into the seat across from Sora. His brows jump up on his face, and it takes him a moment to get over my surprise appearance. "Are you that shocked? What'd you order? I'm not paying for dessert."

"What! Liar, you just said you would!"

"I remember my exact words were: I'll pay. You missed the follow-up disclaimer: dessert not included."

"Wow, so you're just cheap," Sora snickers, passing the menu over. "I want pancakes and coffee."

"What he means is," I turn towards the server, glancing at the menu, "we'll get a stack of banana pancakes, an omelette with everything, and an extra side of home fries." I look up towards Sora. "No coffee. Be healthy and drink water."

"I need my coffee every morning," Sora complains.

"We'll get some at my favorite coffee shop later."

"I don't wanna wait till we go to your favorite coffee shop - I'll just pay for it myself." He turns towards the server with a smile. "I'll get an iced Americano."

"Alright! Your drink will be out shortly," the server says, grabbing our menus and heading towards the kitchen.

It's strange that we settle into a silence - I mean, you'd think Sora would be as chatty as he usually is at our morning practices. But instead, he's just intently sipping on his water, occasionally glancing towards me and then around. That in turn makes me self-conscious, so I take a sip of water too. And you can only take so many sips of water before the silence becomes glaringly obvious.

When did things get so awkward with Sora? He usually speaks his mind as freely as I do.

Maybe the better question is why I'm not speaking up.

"Where were you gonna eat breakfast with your mom?" I ask the first thing that comes to mind.

Sora blinks, taking a moment to respond. "Uhh...I think it's a restaurant downtown? I forgot the name."

"Wow. Sounds expensive."

"Probably. You know my mom likes to go all out for food."

I snicker. "I haven't been to any of her parties in awhile. What food did you guys get last time?"

"Spanish. You should've been there - I totally finished this huge flan all by myself."

My eyes widened, drinking some water to wet my suddenly dry throat. The thought of the flan alone is making me even hungrier. "And you didn't think to save me a slice? Some friend."

Sora snorts. "...sorry not sorry, I wasn't sharing something that good."

"Selfish."

"Excuse me?" Sora laughs. "Says the one who always eat my food."

"I'm paying for this meal, aren't I?"

"And I wonder why you're suddenly feeling so generous today."

As the server sets down our plates of food, I take just a moment to come up with my response. "Cause I felt bad that you missed breakfast with your mom."

"...oh." Sora's wide eyes and furrowed brow suggest he's somewhat surprised by my answer. What can I say? I try to keep people on their toes. My attention is quickly dragged to my omelette. Digging in, I savor the first bite - ohmigawd, this cheese is _heavenly_ …

When I look up from my omelette, I notice Sora staring at me. Did he just say something? Sorry, too busy savoring the deliciousness that is brunch food. Seriously. I'm Team Brunch all day err day.

"What?" I mumble between bites.

What are we talking about? As you can probably see, my attention span for life is too short when there's food.

Sora barely stifles his chuckle, but I ignore him cause who cares how Sora amuses himself? I've got more than 99 problems but this omelette - and these home fries - ain't 1 of 'em.

"I said," Sora repeats patiently, "why'd you cancel? Did something happen?"

"Can I have one?" I interrupt when I notice how fluffy his pancakes look. As I help myself to one of them, Sora says something about asking for permission and whatnot - sounds kinda snarky - so I ignore his mostly to himself mumblings.

"You don't have to tell me," Sora quickly amends.

"What?" I narrow my eyes, trying to focus on the conversation while enjoying the pancakes melting in my mouth. Literally, just _melting_. This diner is the best for brunch.

"You sound like you're avoiding the question…" Sora trails off with a pointed look. "So you don't have to say why you canceled."

"Oh, that's not it. Sorry, this is too good," I say, pointing at our food. Putting my utensils down, I look at him seriously. "Okay, okay sorry. One more time: what's your question?"

Sora laughs - he looks like he's trying not to spit out any food. "What happened this morning?"

"Nothing," I say. "I woke up and I came here."

"So why'd you cancel?"

"Cancel what- _oh_. Right."

It falls silent, and I can tell Sora's trying to be tactful with his curious glances in my direction. I'm just trying to figure out how to explain _the whole story_ to him.

Well, I guess I gotta start somewhere.

"Soooo...you know Selphie and Tidus, right?"

"Yeah...he's on the team," Sora says. "Your cousin. He's dating Selphie, right?"

Hearing Sora say it still makes me flinch - it's just _weird_ , okay? I hope he doesn't notice that. Anyways, I proceed with the story-telling.

"So, they started...going out...before summer, right?" I draw a deep breath, preparing for a long rant. "They totally just dropped that bomb on me! I mean, you might not know, but me and Selphie were best friends! And then suddenly I find out she's dating my cousin? So they've been sneaking around behind my back for who knows how long? What the hell is their problem? Did they even think about my feelings at all?"

"So you're hurt that they didn't tell you?"

"Yeah! I mean, not just that. That really hurt for the first few weeks - it felt like they didn't trust me, you know? Or they were using me for more chances to see each other. Maybe it was funny to them that I had no clue they were dating when we all hung out."

"I'm sure they wouldn't do that," Sora interrupts calmly. "Tidus might be like the most stubborn person I know - besides you - but he's never mean on purpose."

I let the wayward jab slide, cause I'm all fired up about this topic. "I'm just pissed that they didn't even bother telling me! I had to find out through Naminélike _days_ after it happened, for goodness sake! And only after I started avoiding them did they quote-quote notice something was wrong, so _then_ they told me. Why couldn't they just tell me off the bat? Were they never gonna tell me?"

"Maybe they were still dealing with their own relationship? You know feelings are a complicated business."

"Whose side are you on?" I glare at Sora with narrowed eyes.

Biting off a chunk of pancake from his fork, he raises his hands in a surrendering position. "Ooh, I'm not taking any sides - I've learned _that_ lesson. I'm just trying to understand."

"Okay fine, well, understand this: they betrayed me, okay? They betrayed my _trust_ in them. I mean, I tell them everything! And they didn't think to tell me about this ginormous news!"

"I get where you're coming from," Sora says diplomatically. "It hurts when people keep things from you. But this was months ago, right? You guys are still mad?"

"Yeah! Cause they don't think they're wrong! They're walking their own holier-than-thou path with each other, and they're not gonna apologize to me - they think _I'm_ wrong!"

"Hmm…"

"... _hmm?_ " I repeat. "That's all you have to say?"

Sora raises a finger as he chews on another mouthful of pancakes. Watching him enjoying his meal makes me hungry, so I help myself to some more of his food. I think he glares at me, but it's hard to tell when _tasty pancakes are blending with a sugary maple syrup finish in your mouth._

"I was just thinking," Sora says. "Half a year is a long time to be proud and not apologize. Why do they think you're wrong?"

"...I have no clue. I think they think I'm overreacting or something?" I drink some water, cause my throat's parched from all that talking. "So we've just been ignoring each other, which didn't help - but what was I supposed to do? Obviously they didn't want to talk to me."

"I see you hanging out with Tidus sometimes."

"Yeah, we're better now. As long as we don't bring up BB."

"What?"

"The 'Big Betrayal,'" I clarify.

Sora snorts, to which I send him a ferocious glare. This is serious business! There's no room for laughing.

"You know...this naming thing is kinda weird, kinda cute."

"What?" My first instinct is to be on the defensive, because did he just call me weird? But the 'cute' is throwing me off…

"You always give situations these funny little names like you're in a video game or something," Sora laughs.

What in the…? He lost me at the 4th word.

"Anyways," he continues, "what's that have to do with this morning?"

I roll my eyes, my mood instantly souring upon recalling yesterday's events. "We finally had The Talk."

"...I'm sensing this is Talk with a capital T."

"You sense correctly," I mumble, sighing heavily as I remember the harsh words we said. "They're still mad at me, so of course I'm upset with them. I don't even know why we had to Talk. The Talk was useless."

"Okay. So let me get this straight," Sora says, gesturing with his fork still in hand. "Tidus and Selphie start dating. You find out through Naminé, and you're upset that they didn't tell you. They think you're overreacting so they're mad at you. So the question is...why are you guys still fighting _now_?"

"Cause they didn't apologize!" I exclaim.

"I didn't know you hold grudges for half a year."

"I mean, when you put it like that...well, don't you think they should apologize?"

"If you're asking me...Kairi, it's their relationship. I'm sure they weren't gonna hide it forever or something - they were probably just dealing with their own business when you found out. Of course it sucks they didn't tell you, but does it really matter now?"

I place my fork down on the table. "So you think I'm overreacting?"

"No, I get why you were hurt. But to me, it sounds like you're letting the whole thing weigh you down months after the fact. Why make things harder for yourself?"

"They're being selfish. They won't even admit they hurt me!"

"Ideally they'd recognize that and apologize. But your response probably hurt them too. Since they haven't, wouldn't it be easier for you to reach out first? I know it's hard and all, but it's just a clash of egos now. You just have to get over it and talk to them maturely..."

'You _just need to get over it.'_

 _You need to_ get over _yourself._

' _Talk to them about it.'_

 _Then maybe we can talk with you._

 _Then we can talk!_

Seriously.

Why does it always come back to me, _me,_ _ **ME**_ _?_

"You have _no fucking idea_ what you're saying, Sora Hikari," I exclaim, grabbing a napkin and wiping my mouth. "So stop being a smartass and shut the fuck up."

"Excuse me? I'm just telling you what I think! If you disagree - "

"Yeah, I _completely_ disagree. No one asked, Sora, so shut up and stop telling me _I'm_ wrong."

"If you were actually listening, I wasn't saying that at all!" A dry chuckle escapes Sora's lips. "You know, you always have the tendency to make things about yourself - "

" _This isn't about me!_ " I shriek, jumping to my feet. Instantly, I feel the eyes of everyone in the restaurant on me. Trying my best to keep my cool, I sink back down into my seat and try to hide myself from everyone's lines of sight. Reaching into my bag and slamming a 20-dollar bill on the table, I narrow my eyes at Sora.

"You know, everyone needs to stop _blaming me for everything_."

Grabbing my bag, I head out of the restaurant.

While walking, I can hear the blood rushing through my veins and feel my heartbeat right by my ears. I'm literally _fuming_ , and I can only hope my face isn't as red as I feel. Even Sora is on _their_ side? Why is everything in my life so wrong at this point? Why does no one believe in me? Who can I trust at this point?

Can I even trust myself?

* * *

 **A/N: Whoops, long time no see. Let's skip the pleasantries, shall we?**

 **Once again, I'd like to restate my promise that I WON'T GIVE UP ON US, EVEN IF THE SKIES GET ROUGH ~**

 **Seriously though. I have the ending blurb already written so I just have to fill in the blanks for how they get there (honestly the hardest part of writing for me). But seeeee things are progressing nicely, aren't they? A little drama never hurt anyone (except the characters, rip their poor lives).**

 **Drop a review and let me know what you think! To those who celebrate it, happy Thanksgiving! I hope you're happily enjoying the food coma bliss.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter FIFTEEN**

 ** _Came across this the other day - time to do some reflecting!_**

Goals for Junior Year by: Kairi O'Hara - _cause yeah this year is gonna be amazing_

 _ **okay things aren't really that amazing right now. maybe my standards were too high. I just want this year to be okay.**_

1\. Buy formal dresses at least 2 weeks in advance to avoid last year's rental dress debacle (read: never trust Mom's tastes). _**okay will do.**_  
2\. Avoid the cafeteria's chicken nuggets - for many reasons. _**check so far.**_  
3\. Own the school play with Naminé. _**working on it - hey, I made drama club!**_  
4\. Study. For real. #gradesmatter. _**uh...working on it.**_  
5\. Make up with Selphie...okay, maybe that's too ambitious. Talk to her...about the weather. Or anything. OH, try shoes. _**uh...not really working on it.**_  
6\. On that note, also talk to Tidus...eventually. _**why did I even bother going over this.**_  
7\. Beat personal mile time - _no pain no gain_. _**this is basically just everything I haven't done yet.**  
_ 8\. Prove to Sora that Riku and I are still friends. _**totally forgot about this.**_  
9\. Find a guy for Naminé, at least for the Winter Ball - she deserves someone! _**and this! I need to get to this.**_

 **& 10\. Do not let last year's bonfire incident happen again** _\- solution: find a date?_

 _ **hmm. I didn't think it was possible, but things are worse than when I made these goals. maybe it's time to be a little more realistic...**_

* * *

When half your friends are mad at you, it kinda limits your options for Sunday plans.

Since my semi-public dispute with Selphie and Tidus, quickly followed by my also semi-public argument with Sora, I've come to dub the past few days as EHK, for 'Everyone Hates Kairi.' Not a total exaggeration of events, considering I've never had a lot of close friends and now I'm down to Naminé.

Oh yeah, forgot to mention...after a poor test score my mom had to sign, she and my dad had another talk with me about How Important School Is. Then they decided to ground me.

For a C+! In pre-calc! I bet Mom can't even solve these questions - they're literally _impossible_!

So yeah. Even my parents aren't on my side. I guess now's as good a time as any to be grounded, cause it's not like I have anyone to hang out with. I also feel like I'm bothering Naminé too much these days, so I'm trying to hold back a little. Cause what if she jumps ship on our relationship like everyone else? If I didn't have Naminé, I really don't know what I'd do. What do kids with no friends in high school do?

Oh god _\- they have to eat lunch by themselves._

Okay, I need to stop that type of thinking. No more negative thoughts! Be positive! The sun will still shine tomorrow - or actually, the forecast says rain, so the weather forecast will still be 50% accurate, Dad will hopefully still make breakfast in the mornings, and...everyone will still hate Kairi.

So much for being positive. And it's only 10 AM.

I groan over my plate of scrambled eggs, setting my fork down and laying my head sideways on the table.

"What's wrong? Food not to your liking?" Dad asks in a whimsical tone that suggests he's on autopilot. With his laptop in hand, he's half paying attention to his work, half paying attention to the pancakes on the stove - which means he's not actually paying attention to me.

"My life _sucks_ ," I lament, hoping my tone of voice will at least garner a few points of sympathy.

"Cause you're grounded? It's like a rite of passage for teenagers. Consider yourself one step closer to being a grown adult!" He then laughs at a joke only he understands.

See, he's not paying attention at all - he doesn't _actually_ know what's bothering me.

"Why are you working?" I ask instead, changing the subject away from me. "It's Sunday."

"Ah yes, but just because you get the day off doesn't mean the world stops revolving! Unfortunately, normal working citizens like your dad still have deadlines to meet...also my boss doesn't believe in weekends."

"Okay, I get it, Dad. I'm not _that_ self-centered." I pause, thinking back to EHK and what everyone has said to me.

"...am I?"

The question slips at the very last minute before I close my mouth, and I anxiously wait as it hangs in the air.

Dad's response at first is _click click clack_ on his laptop keyboard. I feel the nervousness in me slowly deflate - and some stupidity creeping up as I wonder what I'd hoped to hear. Given that he's busy at the moment, he'll probably respond with another distracted, lame joke. Swallowing a sigh, I return my attention to my scrambled eggs (at least I can always count on food).

Unexpectedly, the _click clack_ stops. When I look up, I notice Dad shut his laptop and he's looking at me.

"Is something wrong, Kairi?"

A strange feeling bubbles up in my stomach, because in some ways, I'm actually getting the attention I want from Dad. But I'm also not prepared for this sudden scrutiny into my life, and now I'm not so sure what I should say.

"...I got in a fight," I finally confess, deciding I should start from somewhere.

Dad's eyebrows immediately leap upward. "What - why? What'd they do to you? Why'd they have to actually hurt you?"

I blink, sending a glare in Dad's direction. "I don't mean literally, Dad. Who actually still fights?"

"A lot of kids! I was just reading an article the other day about violence and bullying among high school students, and the numbers were shocking…"

"Okay, cool, whatever - I'm fine, Dad," I say, cutting off his ramble.

"...okay. Then what happened?"

I inhale nervously, trying to figure out how to tell the whole story. After having told it to Sora once, and having slept on it, I'd like to think I've gained some perspective on the entire thing. So I'm trying really hard to be as objective as I can here…

"Everyone hates me, Dad."

"Oh, Kairi. I'm sure that's not true."

Is that it? Very helpful, Dad. He's watching me intently, as if waiting for me to say something else.

"So Tidus is dating Selphie - my best friend."

"Oh, this is about your cousin? Amanda mentioned something to me but I thought she was exaggerating as usual..."

I narrow my eyes. "Wait, Auntie Sonnen talked to you about it? Waitwaitwait, Auntie Sonnen _knows_ about it?"

Dad narrows his eyes, puckers his lips, and taps a finger on his chin. "She said something about you guys not getting along recently, but I didn't get any details. She said she and Tidus talked, so I thought you'd come talk to us if it's really serious." He pauses, giving me a stern look. "I guess this is serious, huh?"

I'm still stuck on the fact that Tidus talked to Auntie Sonnen about the whole thing...though oh, that kinda makes sense, that total momma's boy. I guess Tidus is even closer to his mom than I thought.

"I don't know, the whole thing's just really messed up." I sigh, putting my face in my hands. "We're both mad at each other, he won't say sorry, I won't say sorry."

"Ah. Battle of the egos. Those can get pretty nasty. You know, someone just has to suck up their pride and apologize first. There's really no point in holding a grudge, especially with family."

"I know, I know...but it's _not_ _fair_. Why should I apologize first when he was the one who kept things from me?"

"You don't have to, but that'd just be making things harder for yourself. Forgive and forget, right? Or is it forgive but don't forget? Hmm…"

Dad is (again) sidetracked by his wandering thoughts. I'm still trying to convince myself that Dad's right - I think somewhere deep down, I know he is. That's why my ego is fighting back twice as hard.

"Well then same thing applies to him. He should stop making things hard for himself - and everyone - and just apologize."

Dad makes a humming noise to show his content. "True, you could say that. But you can't control what your cousin does. In the end, it comes down to you - what do you want to do? Apologize, or wait till he does? It's your choice."

I know Dad's just being his usual laidback self, but his nonchalant explanation is really getting on my nerves. Like he's making it sound like it's no big deal, but I've agonized about this for _months_ and he's reducing my worries to nothing.

"Okay," I snap, hoping to end this conversation. Dad takes the cue and goes back to his work as the _click click clack_ resumes.

I finish my breakfast and decide to tackle the reason I'm grounded: the horrors of pre-calc. Let me say, it's not how I want to spend my Sunday, but there's honestly not much else I can do. The entire day drags by as I wonder what I did to deserve such a boring day in my life. The one good thing about today? At least Mom comes home from work in the afternoon and we have our usual family dinner. Sundays are the only day we're all home during dinnertime, so it's the one day of the week I'm guaranteed a nice homemade meal. I gotta say, nothing beats Mom's potato stew.

"So, what'd you do today, Kairi?" Mom asks over food.

Swallowing a mouthful of salad, I reply, "Study for pre-calc. Really," I add when Mom shoots me a suspicious look. "I'm grounded, remember? Can't do much else."

"Oh, right," she chirps, chuckling to herself. "I actually forgot about that. What were the rules again?"

I want to slap my forehead - why do I have to remind my mom what grounding me entails?

"I think we agreed to no outings for fun? Was that it?" Dad ponders aloud.

"And allowance cuts," I remind them.

"Why'd we make that rule? She has to eat properly," Dad says.

"True," Mom chimes in. "Let's get rid of that."

"Woohoo!" I cheer, not even questioning Mom for a moment. Maybe she's in a good mood - better take advantage of that. "Actually, is it possible to ask for an increase? Only because," I hastily clear my throat, recalling my points, "inflation's like, so bad right now. Like my coffee went up _30 cents_ when they give exactly the same amount - exactly the same! Inflation!" I punctuate my point with raised hands.

"Hmm, that's a valid point," Dad says. He looks towards my mom. "What do you think, dear?"

My mom frowns. "You shouldn't be drinking so much coffee anyways - you're a teenager. If it's for school or something, let us know and we'll see what we can do. But I think we give you enough allowance."

Her tone has hints of her Business Voice so I take the cue to shut up and nod. Mom brings out dessert - freshly sliced fruits, how healthy - and we quickly clean up after that.

"Kairi, dishes please!" Mom reminds me.

"I know...can I use the dishwasher?" I ask.

"No, don't waste water or electricity when it's just a few plates," Mom states. I sigh, quickly surrendering to my fate and getting to work.

The dishes don't take long, and I'm back to my room before I know it. Right before I put on my headphones and turn on the music, I hear a distinct loud voice from the living room. It's my mom, and she's using a tactic I'm quite familiar with: raising her voice to make her point.

" - don't think we should be giving her more money when she's just a high school student!"

"She's 16 already, and I don't want her to worry about whether she has money to do something fun."

As always, Dad is calm and logical through their entire fight. Is this even a fight? Maybe just a small dispute. Seriously, they argue about dumb money matters all the time. Actually, I'm regretting asking for an allowance increase cause now I feel like it's my fault they're talking about this again. I swear, they always have the same argument. And it always boils down to the same stance for both of them.

Mom: We don't have the money for that!

Dad: We do, you're just saving all the money!

I'm not privy to our household's financial affairs, so I guess I'm not sure exactly who's right or wrong. And I'm sure it depends on the circumstance and what investment they're talking about. Anyways, I'm so done with this recurring argument. Normally I'd be able to go out for awhile till they get themselves settled, but I guess I should stay indoors cause I'm grounded.

Ah well. Nothing a little high volume EDM music can't drown out.

* * *

Fortunately (or unfortunately), as everyone has said, the world doesn't stop revolving when bad things happen. Despite EHK, and despite my dearth of friends at this time, the cross-country meet still happens later that week. I count all my blessings when my #1 fan shows up.

"It's so cold!" Naminé exclaims as she hops off the bus. Her hands keep rubbing her upper arms and she keeps jumping in place.

I take a look at her and laugh. "It looks like you're warming up instead of me."

"Why'd the temperature suddenly drop?" she complains, tugging at her sleeves to cover up her hands. "Make sure you run fast, Kairi, so we can hurry back to the bus."

I chuckle again. "I'll run for just for you." Pausing for a moment, I take a good look at Naminé, who I'm just starting to realize really is my one and only supporter.

I quickly wrap my hands around Naminé, giving her a tight hug. Naminé gasps in surprise at first but then returns the warm embrace. "You okay, Kairi?"

"Yeah. Just wanted to say thanks for coming."

"I mean, it was a pretty hard choice between this and studying at the library."

Chuckling at her sarcasm, I let go and look at her. "Really though. I'm glad you're here."

Slowly, Naminé smiles. "I'm glad I'm here too. Can I get another hug? It's too cold."

Laughing, I swing my arm around her neck and lean in towards her. "You idiot, why are you wearing dresses in this weather? It's late fall. There's no one to impress here."

"The forecast said the sun would be out! Oh, sorry, my phone's ringing."

Naminé turns towards her side and takes out her phone. Making a small disgruntled sound, she clears her throat and picks up.

"What?" she complains. My guess is it's either her dad or Ven. Maybe Roxas? Nah - Naminé coddles him way too much, like she's afraid of breaking him or something. She's never even remotely snappish or sarcastic when speaking to him.

"...alright, I got it. No, don't. I won't be back for dinner." Naminé peers in my direction and smiles apologetically. I realize it's her dad and shake my head, mouthing for her to take her time.

She ends up ending the call in under a minute, sighing tiredly. "He really needs to stop bothering me all the time."

"That's him caring!" I exclaim. "I don't remember the last time my parents called just to check in with me. It's usually just to tell me they're not coming back for dinner and to order takeout. I have the pizza place, the Chinese place, _and_ the Thai place's numbers memorized."

Naminé musters a grin. "He doesn't actually care though. He's just acting the part."

"Why would you think that?"

After seeing Naminé's stern look, I realize my question might've come out more accusatory than curious, which is where I'm actually coming from. "I mean, does he act differently at home or something?"

Naminé draws a deep breath and sighs. "No. He always like getting all up my business. It's annoying."

"Yeah, I get what you mean." Hastily I jump to my best friend's side - also because I do agree with her. "Like they expect us to tell them everything when I don't want to."

"Right? I deserve my secrets!" Naminé exclaims.

"Yeah! I mean, I don't really keep any secrets from my parents - " Wait a sec, I'm supposed to be on Naminé's side! " - usually I don't! I mean, sometimes there isn't even a secret, but they wanna know everything and there's just nothing to tell, you know what I mean?"

"Yeah. Yeah, totally," Naminé says, narrowing her eyes at the distance like she's thinking about her dad. "Sometimes I just have nothing to say."

I pat my best friend's back, hoping that helps a little. I don't know, I'm actually not good at this whole comforting other people thing. "Um, you don't have to say anything now."

That gets a giggle out of her. "Nice, Kairi."

"What?" I exclaim, bewildered. "I'm just saying!"

"Right. You're funny, Kairi."

"Naminé."

"No, wait, I meant that literally. I wasn't being sarcastic."

"Sure. These days I can't tell with you anymore..."

"Hey! What does that mean?"

"Kairi!" I hear Coach Tellah holler from a ways off. "Chat with your friend later! You've got a race to run!"

"Oh, that's right - still gotta go set fire to my lungs." I roll my eyes, looking at Naminé. "Don't get bored of waiting and fall asleep standing."

"That was one time!" Naminé protests, cheeks flushing. She gives me a gentle shove. "You better break a record or something today. I came personally to cheer you on."

"Well I'd better hear you cheering at the finish line then!" I quip back, sending her a grin before dashing off towards Coach Tellah and the team.

I manage to tune out most of his pep talk, cause I've heard the same thing at least ten times already. The freshmen look nervous out of their minds, the seniors already look tired, and Yuffie looks…

"Yuffie, are you sure?" I hear Coach Tellah asking her. She closes her eyes and then opens them widely, like she's trying to fight sleep or something. More than tired - Yuffie looks like she's about to faint.

"Are you sick?" I ask, voicing my concern for our captain. The other members of the team chime in their worries.

Yuffie summons the wide grin she usually wears. "No, c'mon, don't start rumors Kairi!" But is it just me or does she falter in the middle of her sentence? "I'm fine! I'm just nervous, that's all." She slaps her cheeks and nods at Coach Tellah. "Is that better? Enough color in my face for ya?"

Coach Tellah sighs. "I'm only worried because your friend said - "

"Aerith likes to exaggerate. I'm fine! I feel great!"

"She said you ran another 5 miles after practice yesterday and skipped lunch today...you know you're supposed to rest up and eat well before meets."

"Coach, I told you, I'm used to running everyday!" Yuffie insists. "You're really getting mad that I practiced _too much_? And my stomach digests food really slowly. I didn't want anything weighing me down before the meet."

"He'd better not use Yuffie as an example from now on," one of the freshmen mutters.

"Can we talk about this later?" Yuffie complains. "After the meet."

Coach pauses for a moment before finally sighing. "Right. Let's go get ready - they're probably starting soon."

I follow the rest of my team and head towards the starting line. The nerves are starting to get to me, like they always do right before the actual event. I'm really good at keeping calm until the thing I'm nervous about is right in front of me.

 _It's just another race, Kairi_ , I tell myself. _Keep those feet moving, throw back your head, and just keep swimming. Running. Whatever._

Now I wanna watch that movie again.

I'm feeling a little better about this meet, because given EHK and everything that's happened recently, I get at least a good 20 minutes of undisturbed alone time. The fact that running's a solo sports irks a lot of people, but I love that I can do this all by myself. I just have to keep running.

 _What happens when I stop running?_

What I mean is, I just have to stay focused.

"Runners on your marks," the announcer exclaims, and the first wave of runners ready themselves. I lower my center of gravity and lean forward, entering my usual stance.

"... _go!_ "

With the loud whistle shriek, the first batch of runners, including me, sets off. The pack stays together for a good few minutes until one girl pulls ahead and people start splintering off into smaller groups.

I draw a deep breath and oxygen fills my lungs. The sun shines overhead, but it's rather mellowed out by the clouds. And I've never really noticed, but this golf course is pretty nice.

It's a good day.

I won't bore you with details of the race, which can be summarized below:

\- The hills almost kill me, like they always do.  
\- I end up 54th. Which is around where I've been hovering for the past year. Just can't break top 50.  
\- Goddammit, I definitely could've lapped 53rd and maybe 52nd in the last 1000 meters if I'd tried.  
\- I almost trip over a rock. That's probably the highlight of the whole race.

Cross-country meets aren't particularly glamorous or exciting. I mean, it's just a bunch of people going from point A to point B, in a very roundabout fashion. I'm almost a little embarrassed when Naminé cheers her head off as I pull into the finish line.

It's just a friendly meet, so after we get our times and places, we're allowed to go. Coach Tellah herds us back to the bus, which we're more than eager to return to. Naminé gushes continuously about how amazing that was, and how much I'm sweating, and Kairi I didn't know if you were collapsing out of fatigue or fainting in the end! She's a little overdramatic, but it's kinda cute so I let her blabber like a proud mother.

On the ride back, Coach Tellah usually does a quick analysis of the team's results and shares any good news. He'll talk to us individually later about how we can improve and stuff like that, but the fact that Yuffie came in 6th and we had 5 people in top 20 gets cheers going from our bus.

"And so many of you broke your best times!" Coach Tellah exclaims encouragingly. "Garnet, Serah, and Kairi! I'm so proud of you girls!"

Wait, me? A smile spreads across my face as the team cheer excitedly. "What was my time?" I ask curiously.

"Let me see...21:42!" Coach Tellah exclaims. "You broke your 22 minute curse!"

I gape, vaguely aware that the cheers grow louder and Naminé's slapping me like there's no tomorrow. I - I broke 22 minutes?

"Is she okay?" a wayward voice asks.

"Yeah," Naminé says sweetly, "she just takes a little longer to process things. Especially big things - "

"NO WAY!" I shriek. "NO FRICKING WAY!"

"Yes way, Kairi!" Coach Tellah exclaims, just as excited.

"OH MY GOD. I BROKE MY CURSE! I FINALLY BROKE MY CURSE!"

Let me explain - I've never been able to break 22 minutes in my 5K runs, even during practice. It was so frustrating the one time I came in at 22:05 last year - I can't even properly express how _giddy_ I am right now - this is a really really _really really_ good day.

Coach Tellah continues sharing the other girls' times, but I'm just trying to calm myself down and stay seated before the driver yells at me again. 21:42, 21:42, 21:42…

"I guess those extra practices with Sora paid off, hmm?" Naminé says sweetly.

Her words remind me of all the hard work I've put in till now paying off. With Sora's help, I have to admit. I'm not so self-centered that I don't realize I wouldn't have lasted a week with that workout schedule if Sora hadn't been my partner. The thought brings me down from my cloud nine a little. Now on top of everything, I owe Sora a thanks. He still hates me though. Along with everyone else. EHK. Except Naminé.

I sigh to myself - I really need to start fixing things. Cause I really don't like the feeling of everyone hating me.

* * *

 **A/N: Hello friends and readers! After eating my weight in holiday meals, I have returned!**

 **Unfortunately, I come with bad news. I have a HUGE test coming up in March that I'm devoting all my spare time to study for (yes, it's so big I need to study 2 months ahead). Literally, I studied for like 4 hours even on Christmas. So I probably won't be writing much till then.**

 **I wanted to let you guys know, so I pumped this chapter out, so please enjoy the slight progression of events in this chapter. I just realized I have way too many loose ends that I should tie up before I continue...so tying up loose ends is coming up! Please let me know what you think about this sorta buffer-ish chapter.**

 **And I have to say...I really do miss writing.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter SIXTEEN**

How To Fix Things, So EDHK (Everyone Doesn't Hate Kairi)

-Prep my speech to apologize to Sora - 3 pages should be more than enough  
-Plan for Talk Take II: Parts A and B, with Selphie and Tidus respectively. Part B should be whatever, Part A's what I'm worried about.  
-And also, should probably tell Naminé how thankful I am that she's the only one who hasn't hated me throughout this whole thing yet #yaybesties

* * *

Breaking my 22 minute curse motivates me to restart morning practice. Though I'm tempted to sleep in, given it's a Saturday after a particularly exhausting week, I somehow manage to get out of bed by 9:30 AM. I still feel like killing someone when my alarm clock goes off, but the urge quickly fades in place of one of inspiration. You know, that feeling you get when you wake up earlier than everyone else so you can get a head start to the day. Feels pretty good.

After the killing urge though.

Getting dressed takes a little longer than usual, because I forget what workout I usually do on Saturdays. Ultimately, I default to interval training. Grabbing my backpack and breakfast to-go, I head out just a little later than I usually do for morning practice.

My mind's swamped with calculating interval training times and my to-do list today that I'm basically on autopilot until I reach the track. Even then, it takes me a moment to realize there's someone else up at this ungodly hour.

Someone I know, specifically.

Someone I can't see until I've prepared my 3-page speech.

 _Shit what's Sora doing here?_

After processing the thought for a moment, I realize it's less likely that he's ambushing me and more probable that he's been keeping up with morning practices, unlike me. My instinct is to turn around and run, but he's facing my direction and most definitely already saw me. Judging by the fact that he hasn't said anything to acknowledge my existence, I decide the best thing to do is just to carry on with my training. I'll...deal with him later.

As I start my laps, I dimly wonder when 'later' is. Because he's doing some soccer drills on the field, he ends up in my line of sight every time I round a corner. And I'm pretty sure we've made eye contact at least twice. This just makes things even more awkward, and the tension distracts me from my training. I'm pretty sure this is my worst performance since the season started…

Finally unable to bear with his not-so-subtle attempts to constantly angle his body away from me, I come to a stop as I finish another lap. Drawing a deep breath, I start walking in his direction. Nothing to be afraid of, just...apologizing...to Sora…

Ugh, I'm so screwed.

I have no idea what to say when I'm standing by his side, as he prepares to take a penalty kick. Without looking in my direction, he takes his shot. I watch as the ball soars through air and just barely makes it in the goal's far right corner.

"Nice shot," I mumble before I realize what I'm saying.

After a beat, he responds without looking in my direction. "Thanks."

We dally for awhile, each waiting for the other to say something, until Sora finally takes the initiative. By which I mean he _leaves to go retrieve the ball_. Again, in hindsight, that's a perfectly normal thing for him to do cause he's practicing. But in the moment, I morph things into him choosing to ignore me.

I really don't like being ignored.

When he comes back to take his next shot, I stand squarely between him and the goal. A grin rises to his face. "What are you doing?" he asks whimsically.

"Making your life harder." I smirk. "Come on."

"I'm practicing penalty kicks, Kairi."

"And I'm in your way, so practice getting past a defender instead," I continue. Which reminds me to stay on my toes. I've been to a lot of our soccer team's home games, and I know Sora's fast. Plus, being quick on my feet isn't something that comes naturally to a cross country runner like me. At least not anymore.

Sora takes the most direct route and comes at me, probably thinking it won't be hard to get around me. Well, his first mistake is underestimating me. Surely he hasn't forgotten my achievements in middle school soccer?

A meter away, he dribbles the ball between his feet while trying to figure out how to get past me. But life isn't easy, and he makes his second mistake, which is trying to force his way through.

He's forgiven for this mistake though, because I doubt he knows about my seven years of martial arts training.

Sora rests his arm on me, which I lean into to fight back. Since he's obviously stronger than me, I eventually yield, deftly slipping past him as he falls forward. Stumbling, he reacts just in time to catch his step, but that gives me the opening I need to kick the ball away.

We watch as the soccer ball rolls off, neither of us bothering to chase after it until it comes to a stop. We're both just kinda watching, again like we're waiting for someone - something, _anything_ \- to make the first move.

I want to kick myself for being such a coward when Sora speaks first.

"You okay?" he asks.

I appreciate the open-endedness of his question, giving me control over the flow of the conversation. Has Sora always been so...thoughtful? He's literally giving me the perfect chance to…

"I'll go get the ball," I mumble, dashing off before he can see me blush. Because how much more embarrassing can I get? _Seriously?_ Why the hell am I going to get the ball?

I draw a deep breath and count down from 10, working myself up to say two simple words. ' _I'm sorry.'_ I'm sorry for snapping at you. I'm sorry for what I said. I'm sorry that I assumed -

" - assumed, so I made an ass out of me and you."

Standing in front of Sora, I stare at the grassy ground, which sets off the bright red color of his cleats. After a pause, I mentally go through my words. Wait a sec…

"Shit!" I raise my head, looking Sora in the eye. "I didn't mean to call you an ass - just me! I'm the dumbass!"

…

Oh my _god why am I_ actually _such a dumbass…_

While figuring out how to also apologize for calling him an ass, Sora speaks up first. Or, rather than speak, he decides to laugh.

His chuckles make me grow self-conscious, and I nervously dribble the ball between my feet. "What are you laughing at…" I trail off, less defensive and more insecure.

He finally stops laughing to look at me properly. "Nothing, I wasn't - well, okay I _was_ laughing at you."

Wow, way to poke at someone's wounded ego, Sora. "Yeah, haha, I called myself a dumbass. Sure, whatever, it's not _that_ funny - "

"No, not that - " Sora snickered, "you're just - you're so...unpredictably predictable."

What? Why does Sora always throw around these big, ambiguous words in his speech? "What do you mean?"

"It's just…" He gestures before him, at me presumably, "you...I don't even know how to describe it. You always do something unpredictable that surprises me...to the point that it's predictable."

"...I still don't get what you mean."

"Never mind. What were you saying? You assumed?"

"...right." I inhale deeply, drawing on my remaining reservoirs of courage and honesty. "I...shouldn't have snapped at you. I shouldn't have gotten mad at you at all, it had nothing to do with you - I was just letting out my anger on you cause you were there." I pause, feeling like my apology is missing something. Hmm…

"It's okay," Sora says. I pause and look up upon hearing the calmness in his tone. Why isn't he holding this over me like he usually does? "I was also being difficult. It's not all your fault - I'm sorry too."

"Right. Me too.

…

"And…" I draw a deep breath, "thanks. For a lot of things actually," I say, realizing I do have a lot to thank him for. "For listening to me rant that day. For doing morning practice with me. I swear, only you could drag me out to morning practice and not be killed by the end." Sora laughs at my words, but I'm half-serious. "Really. And - did I tell you? At my last meet, I ran my best time yet." Slowly, a grin stretches across my face. "So...yeah, thanks."

Sora's silent, like he doesn't know what to say. In fact, he's staring at me like he's waiting for me to say something else. But I think that's all I have to say...right? Right.

…?

"...right, yeah, no problem," he rushes out, like he's trying to make up for the extended pause. "I - I mean, morning practice helps me too. And...it was all to make up for you driving me to the hospital that day. So I guess we're even."

"Oh, right. I totally forgot about that." Seriously though, Mrs. Hikari falling sick feels like ages ago. "She's okay now, right?"

"Yeah, better than ever. Back on her feet hosting all her parties again. Hey, you haven't stopped by in awhile. We had the _best_ baklava from this place - you totally missed out."

"Oh my god, what? I feel like you're holding out on me now. Can't bring yourself to think of a friend in need anymore, huh?"

"In need of what? Food? You look like you're eating well."

"...are you implying I'm fat?"

"Wha - no, Kairi, I just - aww c'mon. I'm screwed whatever I say, aren't I?"

I roll my eyes good-naturedly. I'm honestly not that affected by what Sora thinks. "Whatever. Like I care what you think."

"Hey, honestly! I didn't mean to imply anything! You're just trying too hard to read between the lines."

"Like I said: whatever."

"Aww, c'mon. I'm just trying to defend my honor at this point. Kairi? Kairi!"

While my feelings are genuinely not hurt...Sora doesn't know that. So in the meantime, I might as well have fun watching him sweat.

* * *

We mess around on the field some more before deciding to call it a day. Or a morning, cause the day's just begun. Not surprisingly, my stomach is screaming for food and I'm more than eager to get brunch.

"You hungry?" Sora asks perceptively with a smirk.

"How can you tell?" I ask as we do some cool down stretches (making our coaches proud since we started doing sports).

"Could've sworn I just heard your stomach grumble."

I pause, cheeks flushing. Though I figure they're red anyways after all the running we did. Well, that's just a _little_ embarrassing...I thought only I could hear it…

"Wanna grab food?" he proposes.

My phone rings at that moment, so I respond as I'm reaching for it. "Yeah...actually, hold on a sec." My eyes skim through Naminé's text and then look up at Sora. "Can Naminé join us?"

"...Naminé? Yeah, sure."

"Okay, cool. Where should we go?" I ask as my fingers start composing a quick reply.

"I'm down with anywhere - you can pick."

"Indecisive." I clucked my tongue disappointedly. "Should we go to that diner on Waver Street again? Last time - " I catch my breath, because I realize that's the place Sora and I...argued last time. But we're past that, right? "Last time...your pancakes were to die for."

Sora chuckles. "Yeah, sure. Just don't actually die for them."

I quickly text Naminé the address and we finish up our stretches. Heading to the girl's locker room, I quickly hit the showers and try not to bask in the warm waters too much. As I'm drying my hair, I catch a glimpse of my outfit in the mirror. I'd changed my top but I'm still wearing my running shorts, cause I thought I'd just be heading home. Do I look a bit too casual…?

Wait, why am I worrying about my outfit? It's just brunch at the diner, with Sora...and Naminé…

My phone rings again - it's Naminé, texting that she's on her way. That prompts me to hurry up and gather my stuff so we can get going. Running out of the locker room, I locate Sora dithering by the school gate entrance. As I dash towards him, he notices me and jerks his head upward in greeting.

"How are we getting there?" he asks.

"I drove here - what about you?" I ask.

"Me too. Are we just gonna drive separately then?"

"That feels redundant. Shouldn't we carpool to save the environment or something?"

Sora stares at me, which makes me feel self-conscious. Did I say something dumb? We carpool to save gas and protect the environment...right?

The corner of his mouth quirks upward. "Sure, Kairi, whatever you say."

"Wait, why are you - "

"How should we do this then? Are you driving, or should I?"

I narrow my eyes at him - or, specifically, his persistent smirk. Why do I feel like I'm missing something?

"Kairi? Kairi."

"...huh?" I must've been focusing too hard, cause it takes me a moment to register he's calling my name.

He laughs again. "You must actually be dying for the pancakes now. C'mon, how are we carpooling?"

I exhale loudly. Sora's sense of humor has always been weird, so he must've just made an inside joke with himself or something. I shouldn't waste my energy trying to figure him out. Clearing my wandering thoughts, I try to focus on the task.

"Okay, okay, let's see…" Why am I making things so difficult? Maybe we should just drive separately. Why did I suggest carpooling again? Ahh, seriously, it's so cold already when it's only October -

Wait, it's November, isn't it? Halloween was a few days ago…

 _Wait it's the beginning of the month?_

I'm seriously lagging in everything - in _life_.

"Can I head back to my place real quick?" I ask. "It's on the way. I need to grab something."

"What, did you leave your wallet at home? Don't worry - I can pay."

"No, not that. I just - " I pause, biting my tongue before speaking. Why am I making a big deal out of this? "I need to grab...something," I finish lamely, hoping he'll take my words at face value.

Sora pauses for a moment and then nods. "Sure. I'll drop my stuff down too," he says, lifting his duffel bag and soccer ball. "So, how are we doing this?"

Finally, we decide to each drive back to our places separately, do what we need to do, and then Sora will pick me up and drive us over. Cause Sora's car, though I'm loathe to admit, is a _lot_ nicer than my antique baby. Seriously. I don't think Mom's ever gonna buy me a car that nice, even if I graduate college or something.

Once I reach home, I head towards the bathroom and locate my stash of pads. My monthly cycle usually comes on the dot, the fifth of every month, and I'm not taking any chances. While in my room, I decide to change into a pair of jeans, since it'd been colder than I thought outside. Finally, once I have everything, I head to the living room to wait for Sora's text.

"Kairi! Where'd you go in the morning?" Dad asks from the kitchen, sipping his morning coffee.

"Oh, conditioning. I decided to start again," I explain.

"Okay, I see. Plans for today?"

"Gonna grab brunch with Naminé and Sora, and then probably hang out with Naminé." I belatedly realize I'm supposed to be grounded, but...

"Okay, sounds good. Will you be back for dinner?"

 _Aww yes!_ He forgot!

"Yeah, we're staying in?"

"Yup. Your mom doesn't have work today, so I think she's making something special tonight! Get back early if you can!"

"Okay!" I chirp as Sora texts that he's here. "See you later, Dad!"

"Have fun!"

He forgot I'm grounded! He and Mom tend to do that - ground me indefinitely and then eventually forget about it cause they're busy with work. Either way, works out for me!

I hop into the passenger's seat of Sora's car, reclining in the comfortable seat. "Hey, do you really need that much leg space?" Sora teases as he watches me adjust the settings.

"Let the runner decide what's best for her legs," I return, crossing my arms. Pausing a moment, I realize he hasn't set off yet. "What?" I prompt. "Did you forget something?"

"...no." He turns his head to focus on the road and adjusts the car to reverse pull out of the driveway. "Let's go."

I'm worried a little by his distractedness, but he's smiling that dumb smirk again so I figure he made another inside joke with himself. Seriously. I'm gonna ask him about it someday.

It's a quick 5-minute drive, so we don't even have much time to talk. As Sora drives around looking for parking, I hop off to join Naminé so she isn't just waiting for us by herself.

"Hey!" Naminé greets, perking up visibly when she sees me. I wave back as I approach and take the seat across from her, grabbing the menu resting on the table. "Where's Sora?" she asks.

"Finding parking. Did you order already?"

"No - well, I ordered a tea for myself, but I figured I'd wait for you guys. Were you two practicing together?"

"Yup. Since it obviously paid off and I broke my 22 minute curse - WOOHOO! - I gotta keep it up, right?" I don't know why I'm even looking through the menu when I know what I want - those to-die-for banana pancakes Sora got last time. "Can we order?"

"Yeah, we could...but shouldn't we wait for Sora?"

"I'll order for him. Otherwise it might be busier by the time he gets here," I insist, raising a hand to catch our server's attention. "Last time we came, he got the pancakes. I mean, you can't go wrong with the pancakes…"

Naminé's quiet, so I look up curiously and notice she's blankly staring before her. "Hey," I prompt, "what're you thinking about?"

She blinks back into a reality and grins shyly. "Huh? Oh, nothing...do you come eat here a lot?"

"Yeah, cause it's close and it's good. Like, _good_. I don't know why I didn't bring you here sooner - I drag my parents here _all_ the time."

"Yeah, even you and Sora ate here before we did." Naminé pouts good-naturedly before turning towards the server who's finally ready to take our order.

I blink, realizing Naminé's words are true. Since when did Sora and I share things in common that I don't share with Naminé?

The server turns her attention towards me, so my mind's quickly moving on to placing my order. After the server leaves, Naminé and I are somewhat awkwardly silent for awhile. I'm just trying to figure out why we're suddenly out of things to say to each other...

"Hey!" Sora's perky voice breaks up the awkwardness a little as he sits down next to Naminé. "Sorry, I was looking for street parking but couldn't find any so I ended up at the parking lot."

"What?" I exclaim. "It costs like 3 bucks an hour there!"

"It's not that bad," Naminé insists, to which Sora agrees and I gape. Mom would kill me if she sees a parking ticket for more than $2/hour.

"Did you guys order already?" Sora asks, looking around probably to ask for a menu.

"Yeah, and we ordered for you too," Naminé says. "She said you got banana pancakes last time so we got that. Is that okay?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, that's perfect, thanks. They were super good last time." He laughs, glancing at me. "Maybe you should order your own stack this time so I can actually enjoy my own this time."

"Hey, I didn't eat that many last time!" I protest.

Amidst our chatter, the food comes quickly enough on a busy Saturday morning. Sora and I dig into our respective stacks of pancakes while Naminé gapes at the size of her plate.

"I - I didn't realize there's this much food!" she exclaims, a fork poking at her eggs.

"Yeah, they're known for their large portions here. Makes the price almost worth it." I snort. "Sorry, should've remembered to tell you."

Naminé turns towards Sora. "If I have any leftovers, do you want any?"

Sora blinks, a forkful of pancake midway to his mouth. "Uh, yeah. I mean, I probably eat the most out of all of us, right?" He chuckles, and Naminé laughs along.

"Or you could get it to-go!" I chirp.

"I don't like reheated eggs though," Naminé pouts, finally lifting her fork. "They taste...rubbery."

"You're right," Sora chimes in, "nothing beats fresh breakfast food!"

They devolve into a conversation about their favorite breakfast foods while I'm left wondering if I should stuff myself or ignore their words and just take my leftovers to-go. Jeez, reheated pancakes still taste good, don't they?

"So, you two are doing morning practice together again?" Naminé asks.

"Yup. Well, I just started again today. Cause of EHK - "

"Everyone Hates Kairi," Naminé explains to Sora. She pauses for a moment and then chuckles. "Kairi does this thing where - "

"She makes these short abbreviations for things in her life?" Sora finishes Naminé's sentence. He laughs at Naminé's shocked expression. "Yeah, I've noticed. There was BB - Big Betrayal, right? And then there was Talk-with-a-capital-T...am I missing anything?"

"Well, I see you're all caught up on Kairi's life," Naminé chuckles.

Sora grins. "Not everyone makes funny little acronyms for everything in life."

"Well, _anyways_ , now that we're on the same page," I clear my throat, seizing the metaphorical speaking floor, "I stopped cause of EHK but I'm gonna get back into it. Or at least try."

"Wait, what does EHK mean?" Sora interrupts.

"Naminé just said - Everyone Hates Kairi," I deadpan.

"No, I mean - why did Everyone Hate Kairi? Figuratively speaking." He snorts. "I still can't get over these abbreviations…"

"Hey!" I frown, feeling like he's laughing at me again. "And, cause, everyone hated me. Except Naminé," I hastily amend my words, shooting my bestie a friendly smile. "Selphie and Tidus were mad at me, _you_ were mad at me, even my mom and dad grounded me for bad grades...literally _everyone_ \- except Naminé - hated me."

"You're only just exaggerating _a little_ ," Sora says.

"And E-D...E-D-H-K-A!" Naminé exclaims cheerfully. I blink, wondering what in the world she's talking about. "Everyone...Everyone Doesn't Hate Kairi Anymore!" she explains with a smile. "Right?" She looks at Sora curiously. "You guys...made up, or whatever, right?"

I have to laugh at Naminé's acronym-making skills - obviously still needs work. "Sure. We're finally on our way to EDHK - Everyone Doesn't Hate Kairi!" I cheer, throwing my hands up excitedly. The two people across from me join in halfheartedly, which I'll just appreciate and not ask what they're laughing at (not me, right?).

"So, since we're cool and you're here so that means you're not grounded anymore…" Sora eyes me curiously, "you just have to talk to Selphie and Tidus, right?"

My mood plummets at the mention of Talk Take II. Or, specifically, Talk Take II: Part B, with Selphie. Part A will probably go something along the lines of waiting for everything to blow over, which is how my arguments with Tidus usually go. I'm still trying to figure Selphie out though.

"Yeah...we'll see," I murmur, focusing on my food.

"I'm glad things are working out," Naminé smiles encouragingly. "Go Kairi!"

"Thanks Naminé." I manage a smile. Thinking about Talk Take II makes me nervous so I quickly change the subject.

We complain about homework, strict teachers, and the rapidly dropping temperature for the remainder of brunch. After eating, Sora says he has to head back home while Naminé and I make plans to hang out for the rest of the day.

"Hey Kairi," Sora asks as we're heading out of the diner.

"Huh?"

"I was wondering...did you really wanna go back just to put on a pair of pants?"

I pause, a shiver running up my spine. Wha - how did - how'd he even notice I switched out my shorts?

He chuckles, probably cause I can imagine I'm making a funny face. "I'm still trying to figure out exactly what you went back to get...and all I've noticed is you came back wearing jeans."

"I went back to get _pads_ , Sora. Just FYI," I blurt out before I can stop myself.

Sora and I both turn away from each other, cause this conversation's getting a little out of hand. Naminé, on the other hand, just laughs out loud.

"You two are so cute," she says between chuckles.

"Hey! I'm cute, Sora's not," I insist.

"Why can't I be cute?" Sora pouts. "I'm cute too."

"Go be cute in front of another girl till she has to mention her pads."

"...I'm _sorry_ , Kairi!"

Well. At least he has the decency to blush.

* * *

 **A/N: I'M BACK.**

 **(Not that I actually went anywhere geographically, I mean maybe figuratively in online space - )**

 _ **Ahem.**_ **I hope everyone's doing well!**

 **I don't have much to say except that I finished my test, #bless the weather's finally warm enough for dresses, and being away from writing has really made me miss it. So have no fear, this fic will be here till it's finished - I promise!**

 **I hope you've enjoyed C16 and leave any questions or comments if you have any.Also, look forward to the next chapter, aka Let's Continue Resolving Subplots!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter SEVENTEEN**

To-do list by the end of this week

-English essay draft due Thursday  
-Buy Snow Ball tickets! Early bird prices end Friday, and they're already too expensive...  
-On that note, gotta ask the parental units for one-time allowance increase  
-On a similar note, **NOTE TO SELF: STOP BUYING COFFEE EVERY MORNING, THAT'S ALL THAT COMES UP ON MY CREDIT CARD BILL**  
-Also...Talk Take II is happening

* * *

 _I can do this, I can do this, I can do this._

"Hey Tidus, sorry about everything. That was all really dumb. We cool?"

…

"Hey man, sorry. Are we good?"

…

"Hey Tidus, I'm sorry. Are we okay?"

Practicing apologies in front of a mirror is totally normal, right?

I mean, with the way I'm acting, you'd think I ran over his cat or something. But no, I'm just being the bigger person and apologizing for making a big deal out of everything. The goal here is to keep The Talk Take II: Part A casual so this apology doesn't also get blown up into something ridiculous. Cause obviously, we've established the fact that I sometimes overreact. Tidus and I have always been chill, so that's the key to everything.

"Kairi, you're gonna be late!" comes my mom's voice from outside my room.

Checking the time, I grab my bag and dash towards the kitchen. After stashing a granola bar and an apple, I follow my mom out of the house. An entire day and a planned apology await.

"I can drop you off today," Mom offers as we step off the porch.

I pause, turning in her direction. "...oh!" I'm a little shocked by her offer, since usually she's running on a tight schedule. "Uh, yeah, okay."

Mom nods, and we get in the black SUV. If you think my car's old, you haven't checked out this family antique. Mom swears it was relatively new when they bought it secondhand _n_ years ago, but I swear this must have been passed down from my grandparents or something. The windows have to be manually rolled down, the seats can't be adjusted, and one of the handles is jammed so we can only enter from one side of the car. I'm almost a bit worried it'll suddenly break down in the middle of the road, but Mom insists it passes inspection every time.

Suddenly I miss my baby. At least it can read CDs - this antique's only got a cassette reader.

I'm kinda curious why Mom's so chill this morning, so I figure I'd ask. "Aren't you gonna be late to work?"

Mom shrugs nonchalantly. "Oh, well, my boss said she's gonna be late today, so I thought I could spend some time with you. Cause you're usually out of the house in the mornings for your conditioning practices." She pauses, glancing at me. "Do you wanna get coffee?"

"Yeah! Wait, how do you know I usually get coffee in the morning?"

"Well, you only mention it every time you ask for allowance. I wanna see just how good the lattes are at this place that keeps hiking their prices."

How the hell does she remember that? I literally pulled that bullshit out of my ass that one time… "Ah, about that...that place is actually sorta out of the way. Also, I wanna try this new place on Shelton Drive…"

Mom and I chat about random stuff for the rest of the drive, which is surprisingly nice. Since she's so busy, I usually only update her about major things in life. Just talking about what I did yesterday is kinda strange. But I talk to her about going to class, hanging out with Naminé, and ordering takeout from the Thai place for dinner.

Also, is she supposed to know all these things that I don't remember telling her? Maybe it's just a 'Mom' thing...cause I swear I never told her about morning conditioning.

When we get to the coffee shop, there's no line but Mom takes a moment to look through their menu. I always default to my usual, an iced latte, when trying out a new place, but I wait for Mom to take her pick.

"Hi," she says when she finally steps up to the cashier, "can I get an iced latte and a matcha latte, to go?"

"What sizes would you like?" the cashier asks.

"Large please!" I chirp, figuring I'd go for it since Mom's paying.

Mom asks for the prices of all the sizes before settling on a small. So I see her stinginess is real.

"Why don't you get something for breakfast too?" Mom suggests. "I saw you grab the granola bar, and that's not enough to last you through the day."

My eyes widen at the variety of pastry options on display. "Can I get this?" I ask, pointing at the chocolate croissant.

"Is that all?" the cashier asks.

"Mom, you aren't getting anything to eat?"

"No, I'll just have my drink."

She smiles at me before paying, and suddenly I feel bad for some reason. That's also something moms are good at, right? Guilt-tripping you out of nowhere for some incomprehensible reason?

Because I'm short on time, we grab our drinks and pastries and head back to the car. I take a sip of my iced latte - wow, way too coffee-y - before finishing the croissant in a few bites.

"Can I have a sip?" I ask as I reach for Mom's matcha latte. The sweetness balances out the lingering bitterness of the coffee, and her drink is much milkier than my latte. "Wow, this tastes really good. Can we switch?"

My mom laughs. "Sure. You can just take mine - I don't drink coffee."

"Okay - wait, what?"

"I don't really like the taste of coffee," Mom repeats.

...huh?

I'm literally drawing a blank right now, which is making me panic. Mom doesn't even like coffee? Isn't this something I should know? How come I _don't_ know this? Has Mom just never told me - no, no, even if she hasn't, I definitely should've known. But we have that coffee machine at home, from that one time -

Oh...I think I was the one who insisted on buying it at that garage sale.

"Wait, why'd we go to a coffee shop when you don't even drink coffee?" I suddenly ask, looking at Mom intently. She's making a turn, so her eyes remain fixed on the road.

Nonetheless, she laughs again. "Cause you wanted to, of course."

"But...you don't." I respond lamely, but that's honestly all there is to my point.

The car comes to a stop sign, and Mom turns to look at me.

"But you're my daughter. I'll always want what you want."

I take a sip of her matcha latte and let these...feelings stew inside me.

She pauses, steps on the gas pedal, and adds, "Within reasonable limits, of course. So don't take the chance to ask for more allowance."

"I wasn't gonna!" I protest, belatedly realizing that's actually a good idea.

"Sure, sure. I can see it in your eyes."

"You aren't even looking at me anymore!"

"Don't you know? Mothers are _always_ looking."

"Stop it, Mom, you sound like a creep."

"Just trying to scare you into doing the right thing. Not that I usually worry, since you're too honest anyways."

"Sure, Mom - hey, what does that mean?"

We finally arrive at school, and before I can even think of how I'm getting home, Mom promises she'll also come pick me up. She then insists she has to go and leaves before I get to ask how she's also getting off work early. Now I want to start working.

Unfortunately, I still have the rest of high school and parents who insist I'm going to college. That's a good 6 years of schooling still.

Thinking about that makes me dread class already.

Nonetheless, the morning passes soon enough. I think part of the reason is because I'd planned to apologize to Tidus during lunch, so all the time building up to that seems to fly by way too quickly.

When the bell for lunch period rings, my stomach drops as I realize my countdown is over. I make my usual excuses for procrastinating: I'm not ready, he's not ready, I'm just gonna screw this over even more than it already is…

But I'm also tired of avoiding two important people in my life. I think I can finally kinda see Sora's point. So no matter how dumb I feel at the moment, I'm just gonna suck it up and try to move on from all of this. We're already months into junior year and why is this still hanging over me?

Plus, knowing I might talk myself out of it, I texted Tidus last night before bed asking to meet up for lunch. And I also told Naminé about my plan, so she can hold me accountable.

I just know myself too well.

"So, you're gonna talk to Tidus today?" Naminé asks as we pack our bags.

I stuff my pencilcase into my backpack. "Yup…" Trailing off, I realize I have nothing else to sigh. So I just sigh heavily, hoping that conveys my thoughts that I can't even figure out.

"Don't look so stressed! It's not a midterm or anything - just talking to Tidus," Naminé chirps encouragingly.

"Can you apologize for me, Naminé?" I ask, half-sincerely.

She laughs. "If things worked that way, I would. But you know you have to do it." She pauses, patting me on the back. "Do you know what you're gonna say?"

I draw a deep breath to recite my practiced lines. "Hey Tidus, sorry about getting upset with you and Selphie. I was really dumb. Are we okay?"

I look at Naminé hopefully, and she nods encouragingly. "Sounds good! I can tell you're trying to keep it chill? I think that'd work well with Tidus."

I smile, glad at least someone can tell my intentions. "Right. I mean, it's Tidus. Sure, this is probably the biggest fight we've had since...ever, but - we usually don't actually say sorry and just know to let things go. But I mean, I guess this time it's actually my fault, so I should apologize. Chill though. You think it was chill enough?"

"Chillier than my dad's cold jokes...and they're pretty bad. Do you need one right now?"

"Sure, give me your best."

Naminé clears her throat. "So...what's red and smells like blue paint?"

"...huh?"

"Red paint."

"...ha, that's actually kinda funny." I snicker at Naminé's deadpanned expression.

"Wow, of course you and my dad would share the same sense of humor." She rolls her eyes and manages a smile. "Okay, you ready?"

"Yes Coach!"

"I can't hear you!"

"SIR YESSIR! Ma'am," I correct after the thought, grinning at my number one supporter. She pats me on the back and I wave at her as I head towards the cafeteria.

I told Tidus I'd meet him at the tables just outside the cafeteria entrance. To my surprise, I arrive first. I'm glad I do though, because that gives me time to mentally prepare myself. I can't believe I'm freaking out so much when it's only Part A. I mean, I'll probably have to go through this all again with Part B when I talk to Selphie -

\- Selphie...who's heading over right now. To me? Wait, what? Why is she coming over here?

We've made eye contact, so we have to say something to each other now. Smiling gracefully, she doesn't seem the least affected by the words we exchanged last time.

"Kairi. What are you doing here?" she asks with a smile.

I pause, gulping nervously before piecing together my reply. "I'm here to - Tidus, I texted Tidus, to meet here, and - what are you doing here?" I pause, wondering if my words came off as aggressive. "I mean...don't you have class now?"

Selphie shrugs before taking a seat. "Class got cancelled, and Tidus mentioned eating lunch outside so I thought I'd ambush him. I didn't realize you guys were meeting…sorry for crashing."

"No, it's okay, we weren't really gonna have lunch together anyways…" I trail off, wondering if that was what Tidus thought.

"So what are you guys meeting for then?" Selphie asks.

Her question might've come off as accusatory if it were anyone else. Selphie's probably the only person I know who can speak like that and come off as just asking a sincere question. She's just being her straightforward self. And since I'm done with putting up walls, I figure there's no harm in 'fessing up.

"To apologize. I was gonna say sorry to him first before you, but I guess there's no difference." I pause, looking Selphie in the eye. "I'm sorry for everything. It was dumb, and...I'm sorry. I miss being friends...really."

Selphie pauses, and it's a long stretch of silence that goes on forever in my mind. But then, the next thing I know, Selphie's beaming.

"Ah!" I exclaim.

Her arm wraps around my neck and she pulls me in closer. "You're such a _dummy_ , girl! You didn't have to say all that!"

"What? No, I do," I hastily insist as I hug Selphie back. "Also, I'm sorry for what I said last time...I didn't actually mean it. I know we were friends cause you thought I was cool and I thought you were pretty cool too. I was just really upset when I found out you guys started going out, and somehow I came up with that excuse...pretty creative, huh?"

Selphie lets go of me and frowns. "Yeah, I'd say creative bordering _insane_. How the hell did you even think something like that? I mean, after you said that, I honestly thought for awhile you really believed that. Cause if that's the case...I should apologize. I never wanted you to feel that way."

"No! I was just being dumb...I'm sorry, Selphie. For everything."

"I know." Selphie smiles. "Me too, girl." She pats me on the shoulder. "Thanks for saying all that though. It makes me feel a lot better."

"Please, I feel _even_ _better_." I smile widely, thoroughly encouraged by Selphie's response. I was actually more worried about Part B, but since it's proceeded so smoothly, Part A with Tidus is only gonna be a piece of cake, isn't it? Why'd I have to make a big deal out of everything? Obviously, it's not a big deal and I just have to tell him I'm sorry.

My eyes quickly spot Tidus' rapidly approaching figure. Clearing my throat to prepare for my monologue, I smile at him in greeting. Selphie gets up and walks over towards him.

"What are you doing here?" he asks Selphie, surprised.

"Class got cancelled, so I figured I'd surprise you! You didn't tell me you're meeting Kairi today."

She and Tidus reach the table now, and Tidus shoots me a quick look. "Yeah...forgot to mention it. Hey," he greets me solemnly with a slight nod.

"Hey," I repeat, "I just wanted to say I'm sorry about the whole thing with me getting upset at you and Selphie. It was dumb, and I'm sorry, so can we just move on?"

…

Tidus doesn't respond for awhile. Then, to my surprise, his eyebrows furrow as if he were...annoyed? Upset?

"That's it?" he asks.

"...huh?"

"That's all you wanted to say? That's why you texted me to meet up?"

"Well...yeah. Basically." I blink. What was he expecting? A handwritten two-page apology letter?

Tidus rolls his eyes. "Kairi, I don't think you actually get it. Cause you don't sound sorry."

"What? I am! I just said it!" What more does he want from me?

"No, you just want to get over things, like you said. But we aren't moving on from this if you think everything that happened was just dumb."

I frown, resting my hands on my hips. "You know, you sound really condescending right now - "

"Okay, I didn't mean it like that," Tidus quickly concedes, probably partially due to the hand Selphie rests on his arm. Tidus draws a deep breath and exhales. "Look, Kairi I know you're probably a little confused now, and I'm afraid I'll say something I regret so I'm gonna go. Just...actually apologize to me next time, okay?"

"Actually apologize, like wha - wait, Tidus!" I exclaim as he turns around and leaves. I'm still confused, half by what he said, half by his non-reaction to my apology. So I apologized, but he doesn't consider it an apology, cause - cause what?

I'm so confused I'm getting a little frustrated.

"I think this whole thing affected Tidus more than me," Selphie begins, giving my arm a tender squeeze. "Since you guys weren't talking for such a long time...I don't think he just wants things to go back to normal or anything. He was really hurt, and he wants that hurt to be validated."

"Well, okay, that's why I apologized!" I exclaim. "I'm sorry for hurting him! But why's he acting like he's the only one who got hurt? I was hurt too, and so were you!"

"I know, but you're apologizing to him, so let's focus on him, okay? I remember him telling me he doesn't remember the last time you guys didn't talk for so long. I - I should probably go check on him too," Selphie sighs, rising to her feet.

"Wait!" I say as she dials a number on her phone and rests is by her ear. "So why's he upset with me? Did I sound too insincere, or what?"

"No - well, maybe partially. I'm sure you know this cause he's your cousin, but Tidus doesn't treat relationships casually. He's usually really easygoing and all that, but when it comes to relationships, he's really careful. I think he just wants to know that you also care about your relationship with him too."

"But what does - "

"Hello? Tidus?" she says into her phone. Shooting me a smile, she dashes off before I can ask her anything else. Staring at her retreating figure, I'm left with my thoughts, which mainly center around the last 10 minutes of my life. My unplanned apology to Selphie was a success, but my planned apology to Tidus ended up in flames.

So, what the hell went wrong?

* * *

 **A/N: And this college graduating senior continues procrastinating studying for finals by doing anything possible. Which sometimes includes sitting myself down to write this story instead of starting a new idea (when I already have a billion unfinished ideas).**

 **Much love to those who've left reviews and really encouraged me to write this chapter!**

 **Clogallie out, still going strong.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter EIGHTEEN**

how to apologize \- _dear god is this even necessary_

-write a letter, bc that's apparently what ppl expect  
-or can i email him this is the 21st century  
-write, print, memorize speech

 **this is so dumb, god i'm so dumb**

* * *

"So then he - _huff_ \- rolled his eyes and then - _huff, huff_ \- asked me if that's all I had - _huff_ \- to say - _huff -_ and then he just - shit! I can't do this."

Coming to a stop, I lean over with my palms rested against my knees, trying to catch my breath. I knew I should've eased my way back into conditioning after a week-long absence.

"C'mon, Kairi, you need to reach the finish line in ten seconds!" Sora's voice comes from up front, but with my head down, I can't tell exactly how far ahead he is.

Finally, when a shadow looms over me, I lift my head and realize Sora's right in front of me. "Why are you trying to multitask?" he says.

"What?"

"You can tell me your story later - shouldn't you be sprinting now?"

I cross my arms. "Oh- _kay_ , Captain Serious. No need to tell me how to run my own drills."

"That's not what I - okay, fine. So what'd Tidus do after that?"

"No, let's finish this," I insist, running off and leaving Sora in my dust. The rage - no, that's an overstatement...the _frustration_ bubbling in my stomach drives me to continue running even though I'm thoroughly exhausted now. Wordlessly, Sora catches up soon enough, and we finish the rest of our workout in a timely manner.

As we do our cooldown stretches, I continuously glance at Sora's direction, wondering when he'll bring up the subject again. To my further frustration, he doesn't, and I've never been the patient type so I break the silence.

"So Tidus started saying he doesn't think I actually _feel_ sorry - but what does he mean? Why would he think that? Doesn't he know it's hard for me to - to actually apologize? Like, in the entire time we've known each other, how many times have I apologized to you? Only a few times, right?"

"Like, never."

"Right? Like - wait, what? Dude, I just apologized to you for the whole getting mad about Tidus thing last week."

"...okay sure, but not actually."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

Sora pauses, drawing a deep breath before looking at me. "Look, just - do you remember what you said to Tidus? Like word for word?"

I stare at him for awhile but go along with the subject change, trying to recall what exactly I told Tidus.

"I don't remember exactly what I said, but it was something along the lines of, 'I'm sorry for getting mad about you and Selphie. That was dumb, and can we move on?'"

"Huh, okay…"

After an extended pause, I get fed up with waiting for Sora's response. "So?"

"...so what?"

I roll my eyes and lay my hands out in front of me. "So, what do you think? I mean, I literally told Selphie the exact same thing and she was totally okay with it. Why'd Tidus take things the wrong way?"

Sora pauses for a moment, as if trying to gauge the situation. But what is there for him to gauge? He's a third party I'm just consulting for opinions. Just like last time, when I told him about Tidus and - oh.

"Hey, if you think I screwed up, tell me. I won't take it personally," I assure him.

He gives me a look. "You took it personally last time."

"Okay, I won't take it personally _this time_. And you were technically right last time, and now I've learned. C'mon, Sora. I need help."

"Okay...this is just my view of things, okay? I mean, I could be wrong, so don't just take my words at face value - "

" _Sora_."

" - okay, disclaimer over. So, I'm not super friendly with your cousin, but we've played soccer together for a few years, and you tend to pick up on things about your teammates."

"Okay, sure, so whatcha got?"

"So, judging by your apology...was that all you said? Just that one line?"

"Yeah. Why does everyone make it sound like I should've written him a letter or something? I swear, it's not like I ran over his cat."

"Okay, no, I can see where you were going with that. Cause Tidus comes off as a chill, easygoing type of guy, so you wanted to keep your apology brief, right?"

"Yeah! That's exactly my point! Who knows why Tidus took it the wrong way and thought I was being insincere...look, if all I have to do is think of a longer apology, I can do that. Is that it?"

"No - well, not exactly. Look, Tidus is really clear about things that do and don't matter to him. Like, for example, when we're playing another team, Tidus can't care less about wins or losses. That's why at the end of a game, we celebrate either way. From what I know, not a lot of things really matter to Tidus."

"You're right about that," I add in.

"Except the things that do matter to him." Sora pauses, looking at me again. "What does Tidus actually care about?"

"...you're asking me?"

"Yeah. You're his cousin, so you should have an idea."

I pause, seriously considering his question. "I mean, yeah, well...he cares about soccer. Not wins or losses like you said, but in his own way, he does care about everyone on the team. Except you."

"Exactly, everyone - you're right, everyone except me." Sora chuckles. "I swear, he needs to stop telling me what to do all the time. I can play midfield just fine - "

"Okay, soccer aside, what's your point?" I interrupt, not needing to hear the other side of the spiel I've heard once too many from Tidus.

"Right. So, my point is...people are important to Tidus. For things that don't matter, a brief apology might be enough. But I think relationships aren't something he just wants to gloss over."

"What do you mean?"

"Just - don't try to 'move on' from the problem so quickly. If it mattered to Tidus, it should matter to you. Let him know that you realize it matters."

It takes me a moment to grasp the gist of what Sora's saying...but eventually, I think I do. "You know," I begin slowly, "...you and Selphie are really similar."

"What?"

"She told me something like that...that I have to validate his feelings or something." I make a face, thinking of Selphie's hasty explanation. "That's all? Was it that obvious to everyone except me?"

"Do you really want me to answer?"

"No, don't. I just...I feel pretty dumb right now."

"Again, I'm just giving my take on things. It's not like I really understand - "

"You're not helping."

"Okay, got it."

He gets the cue to shut up, which gives me time to dwell in my thoughts. How is it that Sora, who isn't even friends with Tidus, seems to know him better than I do? With Selphie, I can tell myself that she and Tidus probably got close after they started...dating...but with Sora, that excuse doesn't work. It's really on me now - do I not know my cousin at all?

"You look like you're thinking too hard," Sora says.

I blink, taking a moment to process his words. "What?"

"Don't overthink things. Just say what you want, like always."

Okay, fine. "How come you and Selphie know my cousin so well, but I don't? I mean, we're _cousins_. I've known him since birth basically."

Sora shrugs, looking away at the far distance. "Sometimes it's the people we're closest to that end up surprising us."

"What? You got something you're hiding from me?" I grin, wondering what Sora's referring to.

He smirks at me. "Are we that close with each other? I thought you hated me."

I roll my eyes. "Hate's a strong word. Let's go with strongly dislike. And hey, wasn't the feeling mutual?"

"The only reason I hated - _strongly disliked_ you was because you strongly disliked me," Sora returned.

"What the - what does that mean?"

"You weren't nice to me, so I wasn't nice to you."

"Wow. Very sound logic, Sora, almost preschool level."

He then decides to turn the tables on me. "Well, why were you so mean to me, huh?"

"What? What makes you say that?"

"Don't think I forgot that time in 3rd grade when you said you'd rather do the group project with Mike than me."

"You almost sound jealous, Sora."

"Mike was the class pet, Kairi. A goldfish. You'd rather work with an animal that has a 9-second attention span than your classmate. I wasn't jealous - I was _insulted_."

"Okay...well, now you just sound petty."

"What happened to validating other people's feelings?"

"...damn. You're good at this, I give up." Checking the time, I jump to my feet. "C'mon, we're late. Finish your shower in 5 minutes."

"What? I need at least 10 minutes to - "

"If I can finish in 5 minutes, then so can you. Chop, chop."

"Yes ma'am…"

* * *

Lunchtime takes even longer to come. I'm pretty sure I've annoyed everyone in a three-seat radius with complaints about how lunch can't come sooner, especially Naminé who's seated right next to me.

"I'm _starving_ ," I announce for the _n_ th time after the teacher dismisses us. Stuffing everything in my bag, I'm eager to go but wait on Naminé to pack her things. "The food had better be good today."

"Did you skip breakfast?" Naminé asks.

"No, I had a granola bar. Cause I started morning conditioning with Sora again, but I think my body hasn't gotten used to the increased metabolism." I sigh, resting a hand on my stomach. "And plus, I've cut my morning coffee so I'm a little more cranky. Apologies in advance."

"Oh, I didn't know that...why though? You were really dependent on your morning caffeine…"

I chuckle. "Was it that obvious? I guess that's one reason. Also it's just too expensive. Coffee every morning racks up real quick."

"Oh, I see...okay, I'm ready!" Naminé chirps, standing up to go. I follow suit very enthusiastically, rising so quickly I knock my knees against the desk. Ignoring the numbing pain in favor of the prospects of food, I focus on heading to the cafeteria as quickly as I can without getting caught running in the halls.

"But you're still coming to the Snow Ball, right?" Naminé asks. "I know you said it's expensive...but how many more high school dances will we get? We're juniors already! It's this year, and then we're seniors, and then we're graduating! We have to go!"

"I know, I know...that's why I bought tickets already." I grin, patting my backpack. "Early bird prices end today, so you should get yours too!"

"Oh, but…" Naminé trails off, chuckling, "what if someone asks?"

"Huh? Like someone asks you to Snow Ball?" I pause, just realizing the implications of her words. I mean, I thought it'd be a girl's night out sort of a thing, but I guess not if Naminé has...a date…? But, like who though? Ventus? Or - oh my god, _Roxas?_

"I'm just saying," Naminé says quickly, "we'll see how it goes."

"So...anyone in particular you wanna go with?" I ask curiously, brainstorming about Naminé's prospective suitors. "Let the best friend scout out your potentials."

"I'm not expecting anything," Naminé says, "but just thinking about it. You're not?" she probes. "I mean, you don't have anyone in mind?"

I snort. "Well, I'm not interest - well, first off, who would I go with? I mean, during EHK, my friends list dwindled to you, and even now, I'm not so high on everyone's favorites list. Much less on anyone's potential Snow Ball date list. I've just been apologizing to you, and Tidus and Selphie, and Sora these days. Hell, I bet Sora has more game than I do."

"What about Sora?"

"Huh?"

"Why don't you go with Sora?"

I pause, looking at Naminé. She appears nonchalant, and I can't read anything between the lines. So I go with my gut feeling.

"... _what_?" I exclaim. "Where'd you get that from?" I chuckle, hoping that conveys my incredulity.

"I mean, you guys do hang out a lot these days. And you keep on bringing him up." Naminé's sly smirk grows even wider. "Are you sure you don't like him?"

I pause, still looking at Naminé. I don't like this silence stretching on. So finally, I burst out into laughter and slam my hand on Naminé's back.

" _Wow_ , Naminé! I didn't know you could be so creative outside of art class." Naminé's confused stare prompts me to explain. "I mean, it's _Sora_. Me and Sora - we don't - just cause we hang out more now doesn't mean I _like_ him. It just happened that - okay, so we don't hate each other anymore, which is good I guess. But that's a big step from liking him." I look Naminé in the eye. "You know what I mean?"

Naminé hesitates for a moment, her face remaining impassive, which frightens me a little. Am I that bad at reading people, or is Naminé just that good at hiding her emotions?

"Okay! Well, you guys could go as friends!" Naminé finally takes a step back, both literally and figuratively, as we continue walking towards the cafeteria.

"But why would I - " I snicker, mulling the thought over in my head. "Why would we go as friends when we're not interested in each other like that?"

"That's what it means to go as friends! To just have a good time together," Naminé reasons.

"Well, I can still have a good time going by myself."

"...okay, Kairi. You know I'm always rooting for you." She smiles. "If you ever have anything you wanna tell me…"

"I know, I know." I quickly take the chance to refocus the conversation on her. "So, back to you. Who's the lucky guy? Do I know him? Is he in our grade?"

"Kairi!"

"Like you said, if you have anything you wanna tell me…!"

"Maybe in a few weeks."

I pause, quickly doing the math in my head.

"But...the Snow Ball's in a few weeks…"

* * *

Knowing how to psych myself up is an important part of game prep. That explains why I'm sitting in my car, parked in the school parking lot, blasting music as loud as the speakers can go.

"Okay, okay, I got this," I mumble under my breath like any sane person talking to themselves. My foot thumps on the floor in sync with the beat, and I'm getting myself pumped with this buildup.

Suddenly, my phone buzzes. Hurriedly, I turn off the car audio and check caller ID, gaping at Tidus' flashing name. Even though this is all expected, I still can't help the creeping sensation rising at the back of my throat.

After clearing my throat a few times, I pick up.

"H - hello?"

"..."

The silence is not expected. It bothers me more than it should. "Hello, Tidus?" I speak into the phone a little louder.

"...why'd you text me?"

"Cause - err, I wanted to meet," I say, my nerves starting to act up again.

"Kairi, we literally just talked yesterday. I don't think - "

"C'mon, Tidus, I know what I wanna say. Just let me say it."

"Kairi - "

" _Tidus_. This is important, to me. Please."

"...okay, okay. I just finished practice, I'll be out in 15 minutes."

"Okay, I'll see you at the school gate," I chirp, promptly hanging up. Checking the time, I realize they're getting out of practice early today. Dimly wondering about the cause distracts me from my nerves long enough till a text from Tidus asks where I am.

Shit. I've always sucked at time management.

Grabbing my stuff and almost forgetting to lock my car, I dash towards the gate where I find Tidus waiting.

Well. Strike one against me already for being late to a meeting I asked for.

He puts away his phone and turns towards me as I walk towards him. Drawing a deep breath, I try to remember my lines like this is all a huge act. Like this is just a part I have to play.

Except...it isn't.

"Shit," I mumble.

Tidus' eyes widen and then he snorts. "Well. Can't say I didn't expect that to come up eventually."

"Shit, _shit_." I sigh exasperatedly. "I prepared a speech and all...but that kinda goes against the point, doesn't it?"

Tidus looks at me with a cocked brow, so I take the cue and continue.

"What do you think?" Pulling a folded piece of paper out of my back pocket, I show him my masterpiece. "A whole page, typed double-spaced of course, of what I was gonna say. But that's not really what you wanna hear, is it?"

"What do you want me to say, Kairi? Good effort?"

"Okay, sorry," I backtrack, putting the piece of paper away. I keep forgetting that the focus should be Tidus, not on showing off my efforts. "Look, I screwed up, and I - I shouldn't have done that. Any of that. All of the...you know what I'm talking about." I look at Tidus, who looks like he wants me to continue, so I draw from my list of mistakes. "Getting mad, throwing tantrums, giving silence treatments, being passive aggressive...you know. It's weird having to ignore you, and Selphie, and I'm not gonna do that again, cause that's dumb. I'm dumb."

"Hmm."

"Can you say something?" I exclaim, getting fed up with his unresponsiveness. I'm actually trying here, so some response would be much appreciated.

"You're actually not that dumb if you figured out how to say all that," Tidus says...which...what?

"What does that even mean?"

"Nothing," he chirps a bit too brightly, given the seriousness of our conversation. "I'm just surprised you came up with all that in less than a day."

"Hey, what do you mean came up? I put a lot of thought into it."

"I know, I know," Tidus says, and his cheeriness is confusing me. Is he mocking me, or has he forgiven me...?

So of course I ask. "Are you not mad anymore?"

Tidus laughs. "I was never _mad_ at you. I was just...upset."

"Same difference."

"Yeah you're right. I was trying to make you feel better." Tidus sighs. "But really. I wasn't mad. I was mostly confused with how you reacted to me and Selphie," Score for me, I didn't flinch! "and what I should do. And then yesterday, I got even more confused, cause you apologized and I didn't feel any better. You know? Honestly I think I was just mad at myself that you could get over it but I couldn't. It's dumb."

"No, it's not dumb," I reassure him. Selphie's words echo in my mind: _validate. Validate_. "I mean, I hurt you. And that's my fault. You're right to be mad at me."

"Right." Tidus inhales deeply and then quickly exhales. "Wow. So, I guess we're good."

"Yeah. If you're good."

"Yeah. Yeah, we're good." He frowns. "Well, that was sorta anticlimactic. Like, no one even cried."

"Were you gonna?"

"No."

"So you thought I would?"

"No."

"Then?"

"...I don't know. Doesn't someone usually cry?"

"What the hell have you been watching on TV these days? Oh god, please don't tell me Selphie dragged you into her old sitcom marathons - "

"Oh shit, you used to watch them with her? We're watching _Boy Meets World_ \- "

"Oh god, she did get you! She got you _good_."

"Hey, some of them are pretty good! And you really get to see how media mirrors culture which influences society - "

"Just go study film in college, Tidus."

"I wish I could. Just watching movies everyday." He sighs. "I'm like super stressed now, with college apps, and soccer starting soon, and - I'm just glad we got over this."

"Yeah. Me too."

"God, practice sucked today!" Tidus exclaims in his usual laidback voice. "We were scrimmaging, and Ven would not stay on defense! I swear, he and Sora need to remember their roles, and I can't do everything by myself on offense - "

"You need to chill out and stop telling everyone what to do," I return. "I've been to your games. Sora's really good at midfield. You and - you and Riku do great on offense."

Tidus pauses, giving me a weird look. "Since when do you take Sora's side?"

That also makes me mull over my words. I hope I didn't get him mad again. "I'm just saying," I mumble, "that's what I think. I dunno."

"...huh."

"C'mon, let's go," I usher. "I'm hungry, and I have leftovers waiting at home."

"Wanna come over?" Tidus asks. "My mom's making pasta."

"Oh my god yes please. I'll take Auntie Sonnen's food over reheated leftovers anyday."

* * *

 **A/N: Hello friends!**

 **Having relaxed a bit too much after graduating, I'm back with C18! Finally I get to wrap up an arc...which means introducing the next one! Don't worry, despite sporadic breaks, this story is still going strong.**

 **Please leave reviews, comments, questions, or emoticons about this chapter and what you think!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter NINETEEN**

busy week coming up!

-Monday: track meet, _second to last one of the season!_  
 _^let Sora know I can't make morning practice  
_ -Wednesday: Math test, _I'm sooooo screwed_  
-Thursday: important family dinner _idk what that means. Probably just to get on my case about college and grades again.  
_ -Friday: English paper due

* * *

Naminé and I sigh as we dally by our lockers, occasionally glancing at each other. I try to avoid her gaze, quickly returning my attention to my phone that remains silent.

Tentatively, Naminé breaks the silence. "We don't have to - I mean, my driver's probably gonna be here soon. You don't have to - "

"AGH!" I exclaim, quickly searching Tidus' number and dialling. "Sorry Naminé, I said I'd give you a ride. That dumbass Tidus just doesn't have any basic sense of respect for taking up other people's time - Tidus?" I shriek into the phone when he finally picks up. "Where the hell are you?"

"What?" comes Tidus' voice, somewhat distant on the other end. "Kairi?"

"I said, where are you?" I repeat evenly. "We're supposed to meet up after practice, my dad has something he wants to give your mom - "

"Oh, shit."

"Goddammit, Tidus, you forgot?"

"No, I didn't!"

"Then?"

"I - I - okay, it just...slipped my mind. Where are you right now? I'll come pick it up."

"I'm at school, by the lockers, where we said we'd meet!"

"Okay, okay...just gimme 20 minutes - okay, 15!" he hastily corrects himself when I growl under my breath. "I'll be there ASAP."

"Well step on it!" I hang up, brooding for a moment before turning towards Naminé with a sheepish smile. "Well...Tidus screwed up, again."

Naminé laughs. "It's okay. I have nothing to do anyways, so I'll just hang out with you till my driver gets here." She smiles sweetly, and I thank the heaven and stars again that I have Naminé as a friend. Who else would be so patient and kind and understanding through everything?

Plus, there's something on my mind that I've been meaning to ask…

"So...how's Ventus doing?" I ask with a cheeky grin.

Of course, as Bestie #1, Naminé quickly catches on that I have an ulterior purpose to asking. She shoots me a confused look. "He's fine...why are you asking about him?"

"No particular reason!" I chirp. "So...you guys hang out a lot recently?"

"Kinda, I mean, not particularly often or anything...where are you going with this?"

I snicker. "Has he asked you to the Snow Ball yet?"

"I - " Naminé cuts herself off and groans. Soon enough, a chuckle escapes her lips. "We're still stuck on this?"

"Cause you're holding out on me! I can't believe you won't even tell me, your number one best friend! C'mon, I can keep a secret!"

Naminé shoots me a look.

"Err, I mean, if I really tried, I swear I can! It's just usually people don't specifically say to keep things a secret, so…" I shrug, cause what can I do? I'm very generous and like sharing things with people.

"Sure, sure," Namimé says dismissively, which I take as an insult. She can't even have faith in me? "Kairi, I'm only not telling you now cause I don't wanna jinx it. I'll definitely tell you if it happens."

"So has _anything_ happened?" I prompt. "Is this Mystery Man making a move or what? Cause if he doesn't, someone else is gonna."

"What?" Naminé rolls her eyes. "Who's gonna make a move?"

Is she kidding or is she joking? Either way, it's not funny. "I've got a line of boys asking me everyday if you're going to the ball with anyone."

Naminé raises a brow. "They asked _you_ if _I'm_ going with someone?"

I shrug nonchalantly. "Getting info from the best friend - I'd do the same."

"Do they also ask if you're going with anyone?"

I open my mouth but then pause. "I - I guess, yeah, cause it'd be too obvious if they only asked about you…"

"So they're checking you out too." Naminé chuckles. "Kairi's got game!"

I laugh at the description. "Yeah, I guess I do. Not as much as you though."

Naminé's eyes flicker towards something behind me but then quickly refocus as she smiles. It all happens too fast for me to think too much, so before I know it, I'm opening my mouth to further our conversation when a loud voice shrieks next to me ear,

"BOO!"

"AHH - _shit, goddammit!"_ I literally _jump_ out of my seat, my hand conveniently landing a hit on whoever just spooked the hell out of me. While trying to calm down my racing heartbeat, I turn around with narrowed eyes and a raised fist.

"What the hell - _Sora!_ "

While clutching his jaw, he's laughing his head off. "Wow, Naminé, you saw her face, right?"

Naminé chuckles with him like the polite young girl she is, which leaves me sulking and Sora laughing without a care in the world. He eventually sobers up a little, but then looking at me makes him crack up again. I stare with a deadpanned expression, glancing at Naminé who smiles and shrugs. Finally, I can't stand it anymore.

"Stop it, or you're gonna die from lack of oxygen," I growl.

Finally, he manages to control himself. "Well, if I had to choose, laughing to death is my preferred way to go."

"Why are you so morbid at...5pm on a Tuesday afternoon? Did you just finish practice?"

"Yup! Time to head home, eat back all the calories I burned off, and start homework. School sucks."

"Someone's awfully cheerful," I note with narrowed eyes. "Did practice go well?"

"Aww yeah!" he cheers. "I scored on Tidus, man!"

"Oh, what? Dude, congrats!" I laugh, offering a hand for him to high-five. He does so eagerly, extending his hand towards Naminé, who also gently touches his palm with hers. "Of course, only soccer would make you this happy."

"Soccer makes you happy too, doesn't it?"

I concede to his point. "Endorphin highs are the best."

"Well, you guys looked pretty cheery when I was walking over. Whatcha doing?" he asks curiously, taking a seat at the table with us.

"Scoot away from Naminé, you're all sweaty." I shoot him a glare, and he does so obediently. "And drink some water so you don't die of dehydration."

As if on cue, he raises his hand that's holding his water bottle and takes a swig. "So, what were you guys talking about?"

"The Snow Ball!" Naminé chirps.

"Oh. That's in a few weeks, right?"

"Yup! You going?" I ask, watching his response carefully.

He shrugs. "Probably? We only have so many dances left in high school, might as well go for the experience."

"That's what I said!" Naminé chirps.

"Then are you going with anyone?" I ask with a sly grin, hoping to dig out some gossip out of him.

He blinks at me and takes a sip of water before responding. "Nah, don't think so."

"What!" I exclaim. "You're just being cheap, aren't you? Cause you'd have to buy your date's tickets as well as yours."

"What? No, I mean, tickets aren't that expensive." _On the contrary_ , Sora, some of us don't have limitless allowances. "I'm just not looking to date or anything now."

"Why do you guys all say the same thing?" Naminé complains. "You can ask someone and go as friends!"

"Don't worry, I'm with you on this, Sora," I say, patting his shoulder. Eww, sweat. "Especially since you'd be asking, don't wanna send the wrong signal to some girl."

"Just clarify you're going as friends!" Naminé points out. "Establish expectations. I just think it'd be fun to go with someone."

"This is how she justifies abandoning me and going with someone," I stage whisper to Sora. He laughs.

"I mean, it's cool if you can establish expectations or whatnot, but it's hard to predict people's feelings. I don't wanna have to worry about something like that at the dance - I just wanna have fun."

" _Exactly!_ " I actually jump out of my chair in glee. "Someone gets what I'm saying! Like, I can still meet the guy or whatever at the dance and have fun! That's actually no expectations, cause you didn't come together!"

I offer Sora another palm to high-five, which he readily meets.

"Well," Naminé begins with a sly grin I'm familiar with, "since you guys think the same, maybe you should go together."

" _Naminé!_ " I exclaim, thoroughly embarrassed by her now. She's actually suggesting that in front of Sora? I sneak a peek at him, and though he's drinking from his bottle, his lips are stretched into a smile. Is he _laughing_ at the thought? I'll have him know, going with me would be _his_ honor -

Hypothetically speaking.

"You have my vote!" she says, quickly turning her attention to her phone. I can only sulk in place, occasionally glancing at Sora to see his response. It feels like he's putting his bottle down, capping it, and wiping his lips with the back of his hand all in slow mo. Finally, he meets my eyes, and I suddenly feel very exposed. He smiles disarmingly, so I glare and turn away to effectively ignore his nonchalant response.

"...maybe you two should go together," Sora suggests with a laugh.

"Huh?"

"You and Naminé," he proposes. "You two have my vote."

"...we'd be the cutest, but nah. Naminé's waiting on someone."

Naminé's head snaps up from her phone, and I slam a hand over my mouth. Okay, maybe she has the right to keep this mystery guy a secret from me. I swear I didn't mean to let that slip on purpose - it just...slipped…

'I'm so sorry!' I mouth to her. She frowns but shakes her head to tell me it's okay. However, I still feel the guilt dwelling in my stomach. Maybe I don't deserve the title of best friend.

"...I feel like I wasn't supposed to hear that," Sora breaks the silence tentatively. "But don't worry, I've got no one to tell. And I'm on your side, Naminé," Sora adds reassuringly. "If you need me to do some subtle prompting, I got you."

Naminé chuckles somewhat nervously. "Ah, thanks Sora...but I should be fine. There's nothing settled at this point yet, so...we'll just see how things go. Maybe I'll end up going with Kairi." She smiles weakly, and I'm still too guilty to look up at her. "Ah, my driver's here. I should get going - bye Sora, bye Kairi! See you tomorrow!"

"Bye Naminé!" Sora chirps, and I echo his words somewhat lacklusterly, waving at her instead. Naminé shoots me one last reassuring grin before turning around and heading off. Once she's out of sight, I sigh and slam my head on the table.

"... _oww_."

"Wow, that's dumb."

"Excuse me?" I exclaim, looking up to glare at him.

He raises a hand to point at my forehead. "Look, it's red already."

I rub my hand on the bruised area self-consciously. "...I guess I am dumb." I sigh tiredly before realizing I should do some damage control. "I swear to god, if you tell _anyone_ \- "

"You'll put those years of practicing goal kicks to very good use, I _know_ ," he finishes my words for me, to which I look at him with surprise. "You always use the same threat."

"What? When?"

"In middle school. When that actually meant something cause you played. You haven't touched a soccer ball in years."

"That doesn't mean my feet have forgotten how to _kick_."

"Okay, okay, threat duly noted. Like I said, I won't tell anyone. If I were Naminé, I'd be more worried about you letting it slip."

I want to argue back but realize I have no counterpoint. I rest my face in my hands, trying to massage the sides of my temple. "Honestly, I don't do it _that_ often. Usually it's only with people I'm close with."

"So I'm on that list?"

I stare at him for a moment. Did I just dig myself a hole? "I - I guess, yeah. You're somewhat trustworthy."

"...was that a compliment, Kairi?"

"I mean, who are you gonna tell? You have like no friends."

"Okay, my bad, I was too quick to speak. And hey, I do have friends. I'm speaking with one right now."

"We're friends?"

"...haha, Kairi, very funny. You said so last time."

Of course he has freakishly good memory. I don't even know exactly what he's talking about but decide to give him the benefit of doubt. "Okay...what's your point?"

"That I do have friends, and I'm trustworthy cause I am."

"Okay, okay. Don't have to be so competitive. Keep that on the field."

"Competitive?" Sora laughs. "You're one to talk. Who's the one who can't ever back down from a dare? That time you - "

" _Don't_ say The Bonfire Incident!"

He stares at me in silence, to which I grow increasingly self-conscious. Seriously, can't he look somewhere else?

"...I wasn't gonna."

... _shiiiiit_.

We haven't talked about The Bonfire Incident since...said incident itself. And there's a very good reason we didn't, so I'm not gonna open that can of worms now. If I stay quiet, and if Sora does, we can just let the silence slowly lead the conversation in a completely different direction…

"Wait, how do you know about The Bonfire Incident?" I realize.

Sora stares at me. "Kairi, I was _there_."

"No, I mean, how do you know what The Bonfire Incident refers to? I haven't - haven't told anyone about it."

"Well...I'm just using my deductive reasoning skills here. Freshman year you didn't go to the end-of-year bonfire, and we haven't been to any other bonfires together, so I figured it's _probably_ the bonfire last summer. You know, when we - "

"Zzzp!" I exclaim, mimicking a zipper sound at him. He shoots me a look but takes the cue to shut up. We dwell in silence for awhile till I break it, cause silences have always been my undoing. "You suck."

"What?"

"How come you're always there when I screw up in life?"

"Are you accusing me or something?"

"No! No, just...an observation." I sigh tiredly, placing my chin in the palms of my hands. "I mean, we weren't even friends then. What are the chances that you'd be there when I screw up?"

"...well, I don't know if this counts but you were dating my best friend."

Aaaaand that's enough thinking about The Bonfire Incident for today. Shooting Sora a stern glare, I then turn towards my phone. "I'm waiting for Tidus. What are you still doing here?"

Sora shrugs, checking his phone as well. "Dinner with a family friend later, I don't want my mom to fuss over my shirt for an hour, so I'm heading back right in time to leave with them."

"Ooh, where are you guys gonna eat?"

"A new French place on the other side of town. Traffic's gonna suck."

The small talk makes me gradually grow more comfortable with the situation. Tidus texted me saying he's passing the school gates, so I decide to head in that direction. I'd rather not spend more time with Sora now.

"Gotta go, see ya," I tell Sora, who's occupied with his phone. He doesn't even glance up when he says goodbye. It's just not fair that The Bonfire Incident affects me so much when he doesn't even care. I really don't want to give him something else on me.

"Hey, Kairi."

He calls out to me as I'm turning the corner, almost out of earshot. I could pretend I didn't hear him and just walk off, but what does he want to say? Curiosity wins out in the end, so I pop my head back over and stare at him.

"What?"

He's looking at his phone, and after a beat he looks up. All these looks are getting me confused - like what's he thinking? What does he want? What does he expect from me?

But what gets to me the most is...looking in Sora's eyes has never felt so _scary_.

 _C'mon, say something. I'm waiting, you're waiting - what exactly are we waiting for? Say something,_ anything _at this point. Just - let me go._

"Kairi...you left you English textbook."

…

I race over, snatch the heavy hardback from his hands, and dash off. A wayward, "You're welcome!" comes from his direction, but I decide to pretend I didn't hear that. Have I mentioned already?

Sora officially _sucks_.

* * *

 **A/N: Hello everyone! :)**

 **As you can see, maybe slowly this story is getting somewhere? :o Also, I've recently gotten into emoticons so excuse my liberal usage. Also, work sucks.**

 **:) :) Please review, comment, subscribe - or just read, which is probably what you came here for. To be honest, my outline is slowly being replaced so even I have no idea where this story is going, only where it'll end up. So have faith in the creative process, or at least that's what I'm pinning my hopes on. :o**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter TWENTY**

Almost time for the Snow Ball!

-Dress-shopping with Naminé!  
-So is she going with someone? She needs to let me know cause I was gonna get ready with her  
-But if she's going with someone then I have to show up by myself which is lame  
-I can't believe she's still holding out on me  
-lol this isn't a very productive list

* * *

"How's this?"

Naminé holds up a black-colored dress against her body. I stare at it for a moment.

"Hmm, maybe it's cause you usually wear white, I don't see you wearing something dark-colored."

"That's what I was thinking. I don't have many darker colored clothes so I thought I'd try something darker for the Snow Ball." She contemplates the dress for a moment but then puts it back on the rack. "It'd look weird, won't it?"

Naminé's abnormally pessimistic tone doesn't escape me. "No it won't! If you wanna, go for it! I just think this one doesn't fit cause of the cut - the neckline's a little weird."

"Curse my nonexistent chest."

"Are you actually complaining about being thin?"

"Curves are the new thing, aren't they?"

I roll my eyes. Lifting one foot off the ground, I attempt to wrap my hand around my thigh. Keyword: attempt. "Well not when you have ginormous thighs. Athlete problems," I lament.

"At least you have a butt."

"Says the one with the skinniest ankles."

"Your legs are ridiculously long."

I snort. "Your torso is so long that you have no tummy."

"We're really good at this building each other up thing, aren't we?" she says with a smile.

I lean over to give Naminé a high-five. "Always your number one supporter, bestie."

Finally, a smile stretches across her face. "Yeah, you too. Thanks, Kairi."

"So, who were you gonna go to the Snow Ball with?"

The silence lingers, and I realize maybe I've jumped the gun. Earlier today, she'd asked what my pre-dance plans were, which implies she wants to join in, right? Ergo, she isn't going with her mysterious suitor. Ergo, something went wrong.

Ergo, she should tell her best friend about it, right?

She draws a deep breath and sighs. "Kairi…" she begins with a warning tucked in her tone, so I beat her to the chase.

"C'mon, Naminé. Is there someone I need to beat up? Or knock some sense into? I mean, it's _you_. Who the hell wouldn't wanna go with you to the Snow Ball?"

"Look, Kairi, I appreciate it, but you're kind of just rubbing salt on the wound now - "

"Maybe he's being a coward. Maybe he thinks you're already going with someone, or something. Or maybe he thinks you're gonna ask. You should just go for it, Naminé!"

" _Kairi._ "

Her stern voice catches my attention, and I come to an abrupt stop. As I've definitely said before, Naminé's the epitome of calm, cool, collected. For her to lose her temper with _me_ is saying something.

Maybe saying something more about me than her.

"...sorry," she apologizes with another sigh. "I just - don't wanna talk about it. Can we drop it?"

"I - I'm just trying to help!"

Naminé's tone drops to a deadly low pitch. "I don't need _help_ , Kairi."

"I - "

Before I can finish my sentence, Naminé abruptly shifts her body to face away from me, focused on the rack of clothes instead. The silence settles once more, and I exhale deeply, hoping the frustration leaves my body with my breath.

It doesn't.

Of course, Naminé's a pro at the passive aggressive game. But I like to think I'm also not too shabby. We awkwardly finish our own shopping in the store and convene at the entrance, both deciding to walk out empty-handed.

Silently, we head towards our next destination, which is just the next store over. Trickling towards opposite sides, we coexist peacefully without any interaction.

Angling myself and grabbing a random shirt from the rack, I furtively glance at Naminé's direction. She seems to be intently staring at the pastel-colored dress in her hands. I draw a deep breath, trying to remember the last time we got in a mini-fight like this. They aren't too common, given Naminé's endless patience with anything and everything, so I can't think of a particular instance.

This does remind me of the beginning of me, Tidus, and Selphie's fight though.

How did I resolve that again…?

Ah. _Validation_. And talking about shoes.

Matching her steps, I approach the center of the store where mannequins model the store's promotional outfits. She notices my presence and tries to keep her eyes focused on the mannequin's shoes. I step up right next to her, my shoulder just a hair's width away from hers.

"Aren't they a bit too tall?" I ask, glancing at the mannequin's admittedly gorgeous heels.

"...yeah, I think so," Naminé murmurs back. "I'm not gonna pay $100 for a ticket just to stand around looking pretty for 2 hours."

"Student Council's robbing us blind."

"Yeah, who knows where that money's going? I just hope the music's better than last year."

This is my chance to offer an olive branch! "Do you wanna get ready together?"

Naminé pauses, fiddling with the fabric of the dress. "Maybe. Can I let you know next week?"

"Still holding out?" I tease. Maybe that's not the right thing to say. "Whoever it is, they're the one missing out."

She smiles. "I was just thinking I might take your advice and ask someone."

"Yeah!" I pat her on the back enthusiastically, to which she winces and shoots me a look. Apologizing with a sheepish grin, I chuckle. But hey, she's taking my suggestion! Which means she isn't mad at me anymore, right?

We exit the store making small talk, and I silently cheer for the successful recovery. One point to Kairi and her accumulating tact, one day destined to wield her sociability for the greater good -

"Oh, is that Sora?" Naminé points at the lone figure dawdling by the mall's directory, staring at his phone. Given his ratty attire, I assume he's just done with practice, which makes me wonder what he's doing in the mall instead of taking a shower.

Which means I get to tease him for being smelly!

"Hey!" I greet from afar, rapidly approaching with a wide grin. He looks up from his phone and grins, nodding back at me. "I could smell you from way over there."

"Kairi!" Naminé exclaims, knocking me on the arm. Sora just laughs, tucking his phone away and regarding both of us.

"Hey Kairi, and hi Naminé. Whatcha guys doing?"

"Dress shopping, to avoid last year's issue." When Sora raises a brow curiously, I roll my eyes. "Long story short, never trust your mom's taste. Okay, maybe you can, cause Mrs. Hikari is always dressed really well. You should take some pointers."

"I don't really need to braid my hair or accessorize, so pass," he says with a chuckle.

"What're you doing here?" Naminé asks, noting his lack of bags. "Waiting for someone?"

"Oh yeah, actually, now that you mention it - " He glances at me, and I'm not sure if he's giving me a look or something, so I ignore it and let him turn back to Naminé. When he does speak, I realize that pause had been deliberate.

"I'm waiting for Riku. From soccer? He's getting some tape at that sports store over there."

... _oh_.

Honestly, it's a pure stroke of luck that I haven't bumped into Riku yet this semester. Halfway through the school year, and not much beyond the occasional glance from afar! Considering that one of his teammates is my cousin and the other is my friend (yes, Sora is my _friend_. Why do I still need to convince myself of this fact?), you'd think he'd come up by now.

But hey, I ain't complaining when life works out in my favor for once.

Before you get carried away with speculations, let me just say our breakup wasn't _that_ bad. There were some unwarranted accusations from both parties, but I figure it's normal when you're ending a relationship, even for hyper-rational people like Riku. Anyways, we're more just the awkward exes. And since neither of us seem particularly motivated to move on, we've been stuck in that phase since breaking up at the beginning of summer.

Huh, so it's been almost 6 months. Feels like it's been less than time.

When I snap back to reality, I realize both Sora and Naminé are cautiously watching me. While I appreciate their sensitivity, this is all a bit too obvious for my comfort. I'm supposed to just act casual, right? Be casual, Kairi.

"Weeeell, we'd better get going. See you, Sora!"

W-O-W, Kairi, much casual? Such swag? Too cool for school?

I suck at life, guys. I actually suck at life.

And since Life wants to teach me a lesson, or maybe just likes messing with people, or simply wants to fuck me over, it decides to take away my running stroke of luck.

"Hey man, thanks for waiting, they said they ran out and had to check their inventory for - oh."

I don't need to turn around to recognize that voice. It's been awhile, but my memory for the most random things (like song lyrics and the pizza place's number) has always been pretty good. My instinct is to freeze in place, so it takes a lot of overriding that signal in my brain to get moving.

"Hey, Kairi."

I force myself to turn around and face him. Like I said, I've seen him from afar a few times but never this close since we broke up. And like I said, we're still super awkward with each other. It takes everything for me to summon a terse smile. Just gotta be cool, be casual.

 _Be cool._

The silence grows so loud it threatens to swallow me whole. I'm thinking I'd like that when Riku angles his body towards the side a little.

"And Naminé, right? Sorry, I'm bad with names."

"No, you're right - I'm Naminé," she says with a grin. "Nice to see you again."

"Right." His eyes flicker towards me, and I quickly maintain my smile. His eyes continue drifting towards Sora. "You wanna go?"

"Yeah…" He trails off awkwardly, stepping towards Riku and waving goodbye. "See you guys at school."

Thankfully, Naminé speaks up for me. "Yup, see you guys!" she calls out after them as they walk off. One step, three steps, five...and they round the corner, probably headed towards the elevator.

I let go of a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

"Are you okay, Kairi?" Naminé asks with concern, a hand resting on my shoulder.

I try to convey that I'm fine with a small smile. "Yeah. Yeah, I just - I was surprised. Didn't know he was here."

Naminé hesitates for a moment but eventually speaks up. "Do you...do you wanna talk about it?"

"...not really. Well," I think about it quickly. "Was I pretty casual?"

"...Kairi. You didn't say _anything_."

"Casual enough, right?"

"...I'm sure he understands, Kairi, that things are just a little awkward between you guys."

"But it's been almost 6 months! Things shouldn't be awkward anymore. I need to prove that we're still friends!" I exclaim and then sigh. "Sorry, I think this is kinda getting to me. Especially since he caught me off guard."

"It's okay, I can imagine how overwhelmed you feel right now...you shouldn't have to worry about what you're supposed to feel - just what you do feel."

"I feel...confused, Naminé."

"How?"

"I just can't tell what I'm feeling. Like I know I'm supposed to feel one way, like casual and okay with everything and all that, but I don't." I wonder if I'm making any sense to Naminé. "Lemme think about it and I'll talk to you later."

"Yeah, of course. Just let me know if you wanna talk about it."

"Okay...yeah, thanks Naminé." Glancing towards her, I suddenly realize how _nice_ she is. And I mean, Naminé's always nice, but she's _really_ nice now. Like she's being really supportive, and nice, and...I'm not…?

"Huh?" she asks, noticing my intense glare at her. "Is something wrong?"

"...yeah." I pause. "No, nothing's _wrong_ , just...trying to think."

She giggles, a hand raised to cover her mouth. "Okay, well, you keep thinking then. Should we head out though? My dad wants me home by 6 for another 'family dinner' and I guess I _did_ promise him…"

My mind trails off to the epiphany I'm gradually trying to reach in my mind. A lot of people, including Tidus and my mom, have told me I'm a slow learner. So screw me if my grades suck. But what I think they meant is that I tend to lag sometimes. Which, okay, I can admit. That's why it took me so long to make up with Tidus and Selphie. But I'm not _dumb_ , by which I mean I don't make the same mistakes over and over again. I may be slow, but I still learn. And I'm grasping at an epiphany that's about to strike any moment, and I'm trying hard to focus, but only one salient though comes through:

I feel like I'm a pretty bad best friend.

* * *

After getting back home, I drop my shopping bags in my room and head back out into the living room. I collapse on the couch next to Dad, tempted by the heavenly scent of homemade food (for once!) wafting from the kitchen. That's right - I'd almost forgotten Mom's actually making food tonight.

Mom's been suspiciously domestic these days, if you know what I mean. Usually she's too busy with work to bother picking me up or making dinner.

"How was your day?" Mom asks as I turn on the TV, idly surfing channels.

"Fine. How about you?"

"Not bad. Did you have track practice after school?"

"Cross-country!" I exclaim, intent on making the difference clear. "We had a short core workout and then Coach Tellah left early, cause he said he had a doctor's appointment...then I went shopping with Naminé."

"So is that where the allowance increases are going?" Mom teases.

"No! It's cause the Snow Ball's coming up, and I have nothing to wear! And _don't_ give me the 'You have a whole closet of clothes' spiel, I've worn all my dresses to some dance already. And don't try giving me one of yours, they all look frumpy. And last year when we _rented_ that dress - I swear I'm never trusting your tastes again. "

"Okay, _okay_ , I get your point," Mom says, serving a pot of something that smells _delicious_ on the dinner table. "Can you give your dad a call to see where he is?"

"Will do."

Fortunately, before I even have to dial his number, Dad shows up on the front door. This is literally 3 times as many people that are usually home at this time of the day, so needless to say I'm a little excited. I mean, I even help set the table! How much nicer can I get?

"How was your day, darling?" Mom asks Dad as I help myself to a hearty serving of mac 'n cheese. Oh my god this beats frozen food - it even beats that diner down the street…

"Good, good. Worked most of the day, and I met Amanda for lunch. Oh, she says you and Tidus aren't fighting anymore?"

It takes me a moment to realize he's talking to me. I swallow a mouthful of mac 'n cheese - let's be real, basically just cheese - and grin in response.

"Yup, we're cool now."

"That's good to hear. They weren't talking to each other cause Tidus was dating her best friend or something," he explains to Mom, and of course he reduces a problem I've angsted over for months to such a trivial teenage drama trope.

I guess I am a teenager, dramatic, and rather trivial though.

"How was your day, Kairi?" Dad continues probing.

All this attention from the parental units is kinda weird. "Well, it was normal. I had cross-country practice after school and then went shopping with Naminé - "

"Didn't you have a math test today?" Mom asks.

 _Oh my god she already knows?!_

"Uh, yeah it was yesterday…"

"...so, how'd it go?"

"Well, we got them back today and...I hate math, so…"

"..."

"..."

"Did you pass?" Dad asks bluntly.

"Of course I did! Have some faith! My grades suck but they're not _horrible_."

"So how'd you do?" Mom probes again.

I'm reluctant to admit, but what can I say to a direct question like that? "A 76…I was so close to a C+! He took off partial points cause I didn't show enough work for one of the questions...but I basically got the concept right! It's not fair!"

Mom and Dad sigh tiredly. I get the feeling that I know where the rest of this conversation is going.

"Kairi, if you know math is hard for you, you should try spending more time on it. Doesn't your school offer tutoring? If not, maybe I can try asking someone…"

"So this is what the 'family dinner' is for?"

Mom pauses, looking at me with wide eyes. "What do you mean?"

"You just wanted to get us all together and talk about my bad grades and how important college is, huh?"

"...Kairi. This is important to us, and it should be important to you. We can talk about college and other things later, but for now, let's focus on your classes…"

I'm used to these conversations - or, more like listening to these monologues. It used to be the main form of communication between me and my mom, since she's too busy to care about other parts of my life outside of school. It's sad when you put it like that, but everything else seems to come secondary to getting good grades to her.

"...don't want to have to ground you again, but if we need to - "

"No!" I exclaim urgently, head darting up. They can't ground me now! Since Mom's more around now, I can't count on her getting too busy with work and 'forgetting' that I'm grounded. And with Snow Ball around the corner - they can't do this to me!

"I'll study harder, okay? I will, I promise. It's just - " I pause, wondering whether I should be the one to bring it up. "The Snow Ball's coming up...I just bought the tickets, so I don't wanna waste them…"

Mom and Dad give each other a long, meaningful look that I'm supposed to be able to interpret, but I can't. Then, as if one cue, they turn back to me simultaneously.

"Kairi...you really should stop spending so much money on things and study more. I can't stress enough how important your grades are..."

It kinda sucks that even though I know exactly what she's gonna say, I still can't stop the knife stabbing at my heart. Mom looks tired too, like she's tired of giving this spiel. I know from the outside, the situation seems easy to resolve: just get good grades, Kairi. Just study harder, Kairi. Easier said than done, right? I swear, I think I'm just not smart enough. I don't get how some of my classmates get such good grades and do a billion extracurriculars. I can barely manage my own life, much less study and join clubs and volunteer and such.

I peer towards Dad, who's usually there to cut in when Mom starts going off, but he's giving me a stern look. So it appears he's on her side this time.

I sigh, dwelling on this depressing family dinner conversation that I really can't do much about. And not for the first time this week, I think:

Life sucks.

* * *

 **A/N: Hello! We have some tangents occurring in this chapter, and the perhaps forgotten fact that Kairi's ex is Riku finally comes up! See, these little subplots eventually all come back to haunt you, aka this author is taking responsibility for all the bread crumbs she dropped for fun oops.**

 **Drop a review and let me know what you think!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter TWENTY ONE**

To do list \- _look at me being all organized like an adult_

-figure out course selection for next semester  
-confront Naminé about plans for getting ready together for the Ball...eventually  
- **STUDY** because the parental units are not happy and when they're not happy, I usually end up unhappy somehow  
-track championship meet w00t let's do this!

* * *

"Are you ready?"

"No," I bemoan. Thinking quickly, I grab my stomach and bend over my seat. "I wanna throw up."

"Well, you've got half an hour, so that's plenty time to rehydrate."

I give up on exaggerating and shoot Coach Tellah a glare. "That's very reassuring, Coach."

He looks up from his clipboard and glances over from the seats across. "It's the last meet of the season, Kairi. If anything, you should be happy."

"You know me. I'll be celebrating right after this." I draw a deep breath and sigh, trying to calm down a little. "I don't get nervous until the actual thing. Which is now."

"Well, anything I can do?" Coach Tellah grabs a plastic bag of items. "Anna packed waters for you all, as well as bananas. Do you want tape?" he offers, retrieving a bright-colored roll.

"Nah, I usually don't," I refuse. "I just - I'm gonna listen to my pre-game playlist and try to psych myself up."

" _Psych!"_ Coach Tellah exclaims, laughing at the joke that only he understands. I chuckle politely, inserting an earbud and letting my body feel the thumping of the bass. It's hard to unwind when the ticking time only counts down towards an impending deadline. But I try to focus on the fact that this is _it_ , this is everything I've worked for up till now and that honestly doesn't help, now does it?

The song comes to an abrupt stop, and so do the jitters. It's funny how these things can just come and go. Suddenly I feel numb, like my body's decided it's tired of being nervous and completely given up. Not on the pending race, but on feeling nervous.

It's a rather strange feeling. Sorta like total zen, but without the actual peaceful element.

Some of the more chatty members of the team are spitballing at a thousand words a minute. I try to turn away from them, because I know myself well enough that I feed off other people's nervous energies. Deciding there's only one place to ensure my solitude, I jump to my feet.

"Ten minutes till we head out!" Coach Tellah hollers to the room of chatty teens. Making a mental note, I double check the time and beeline towards the restroom.

There are a few girls from other teams roaming about and getting ready, so I bypass them and head straight for a stall. Locking myself in, I take a moment to draw a deep breath. No big deal, just another run-of-the-mill meet. Exhale. I'm gonna be fine. Inhale. This is all gonna be over in half an hour. Breathe out. I'm gonna gorge on pizza and Thai takeout and Mom's leftover chili after this cause I don't have to follow my diet anymore and that thought - I have free reign over my diet - gets me through the last of my anxiety.

Summoning a deep breath, I rise to my feet and push open the bathroom stall door a little too strongly. The door knocks against the wall with a loud _bang_ , which causes the girl in the stall next door to yelp.

"Oh, sorry," I apologize, while the girl stammers something under her breath. I pause, mulling over the voice in my mind. "Yuffie?" I ask hesitantly.

"Y - yeah?"

"Oh hey! What're you still doing here? Coach said we're heading out soon."

"Oh, yeah."

"...I'll head out with you!" I add, to which Yuffie hmms.

What's with the non-responses? Did I interrupt her pooping or something? My bad…

Finally, Yuffie hobbles out of the stall, a hesitant smile on her face. It then occurs to me that this is her last cross country meet, and if I'm this nervous who knows how rattled she is? We wash our hands together, and I focus on the warm running water and fixing my messy ponytail. While I'm drying my hands, I can hear the water still running for Yuffie. Turning around confusedly, I let my eyes rest on Yuffie's figure, back hunched over with hands resting on the countertop.

"Hey, Yuffie," I approach slowly, "we should probably get...get going...Yuffie? Yuffie, are you okay?" Her lack of response only heightens my worries. "Yuffie, what's going on? Your hands are _shaking_."

Finally, she lifts her head and turns towards my direction, blinking owlishly. "Huh?" I point at her hands, and her eyes follow to stare at her trembling fingers. I see her try to tense them up, but the shaking does not subside.

"Yuffie, are you okay?" I ask again.

She barks out a curt chuckle. "It - it's okay. I get this sometimes. Just...just the nerves, you know? This is totally normal."

Watching her focusing on her hand, trying to stop herself from trembling, is making me shake with anxiety. I watch her carefully, doing her best to calm herself down, but if anything, the trembling gets _worse._

"Yuffie, I don't think you're okay. This is really bad - how are you gonna run like this?"

"I'll be fine! I just need to get over it. I'll be fine. Just - just gimme a moment…"

Despite her constant reassurances, I only grow more and more wary watching her condition not improving the slightest. It finally occurs to me that I should probably go get some help. "Lemme go find someone…"

"No!" Yuffie shrieks, latching onto my arm. "Don't! You know they'll bar me from the race and I can't!"

That...that doesn't mean I shouldn't get anyone! "I'll go get Coach," I compromise, patting her hand reassuringly. She seems to calm down a little at that and lets me go.

I dash through the halls back to our waiting room, where our entire team is visibly restless and for the most part on their feet. Coach sighs in relief when he sees me.

"Well there's one missing runner. Have you seen Yuffie, Kairi?"

"Uh, yeah, Coach, actually, could I talk to you for a sec?"

He shoots me a confused look but quickly tells one of the senior girls to lead the team out to start warm up stretches. Following me out into the halls, Coach Tellah keeps trying to ask me what's wrong, but it's hard for me to explain, mostly cause I don't know what is wrong. Of course, with Coach Tellah's tendency of paranoia, his haphazard guesses start running wild with his imagination.

"What happened? Does she wanna drop out of the race?"

"No…"

"Did she injure herself? Is she too scared to tell me cause she thinks I'll get mad she isn't taking care of herself?"

"No, I don't think so…"

"Did she finally run off with that deadbeat boyfriend of hers? Oh, or did they break up?" He sounds a little giddy at that last thought.

"No - wait, she has a boyfriend? Who's deadbeat?"

"Where are we going, Kairi? What's going on?"

"Just - c'mon Coach. I'm taking you to Yuffie."

He just mumbles paranoid worries to himself for the rest of the walk over, and he balks a little when we stop outside the girl's bathroom. I peek inside to make sure it's empty except for Yuffie, who's warming her hands with the dryer.

"C'mon, Coach. She's right here."

When Coach Tellah enters, he sees Yuffie, who's looking at him with widened eyes. I watch carefully, trying to gauge the situation and what to do.

"Coach...I'm getting anxious again."

"I should've figured," he mumbles, crossing his arms and looking at her worryingly. "Is it the twitching?"

"Yeah…"

"More like shaking," I chime in, pointing at her hands.

Coach Tellah's eyes widen, and Yuffie tries to hide them behind their back.

"I'm fine," Yuffie tries insisting again. "I just - can't warm up with everyone, I need a little more time…"

"Yuffie, I don't think you should run today."

"What?" she exclaims, looking at Coach Tellah incredulously. "Coach, I'm not backing out now. The meet literally starts in twenty minutes."

"But Yuffie, this isn't just a little finger trembling anymore. You're shaking, and - you know, this might be a panic attack or something."

"What? No, I don't get panic attacks," Yuffie says. "You're just exaggerating. I'll be fine."

I draw a breath, trying to make my presence infinitesimally small in the room. I feel like at this point I'm just intruding, but to get out of the room requires asking Coach Tellah to move, which would require interrupting their conversation. _Great._

"Yuffie, look. We know you get pretty bad anxiety, and I asked my friend who's a doctor, and panic attacks aren't uncommon with GAD. Don't underestimate the importance of taking care of yourself."

"I know, I know. I just need some time. But I can run today, I know I can. Please."

"Yuffie - "

"Coach, I have a scholarship depending on this. I have the rest of my life depending on this. I _have_ to run."

Coach Tellah and Yuffie are in a stalemate. At this point, I'm less concerned about intruding in a private conversation and more worried we're all gonna miss the competition at this rate.

Coach Tellah has the sense to check the time. Finally, after great hesitation, he speaks again.

"I don't like this. I don't like this, and I'm making my disapproval clear now." He frowns at Yuffie's relentless glare. "But you're eighteen, and I think you're old enough to make decisions for yourself. I won't stop you - I can't."

"Oh thank you," Yuffie gushes, nerves instantly relaxing.

"But you're an adult, so you need to take responsibility for your decisions now! If you're gonna run, consider the risks and consequences." Coach Tellah is so stern that even though he's not directing his words to me, I'm a little scared. "This is your life, and you know we only want the best for you when I ask you to not run."

Yuffie pauses, deliberating the situation for a moment. Seeing we're running out of time, Coach Tellah starts to wrap things up.

"C'mon, Kairi, we should go join everyone warming up. Yuffie, just come out when you can." Before Yuffie can do or say anything, Coach Tellah herds me through the bathroom door and towards the building exit.

"Coach!" I protest while we're heading out.

"...what? Was I too mean? Do you think she's crying right now? She probably hates me now, doesn't she?"

"What?" I blink. "No, Coach - well, you were a little mean, but - "

"I knew it, she's gonna hate me, she hates me, my own student hates me cause I'm that worried about her - "

"Coach, calm down!" I exclaim. His paranoid anxiety is really running crazy here. "I probably shouldn't use the word 'mean,' I just meant strict. Stern! Which is good!" I hastily emphasize. "You just had to tell her what she needs to hear!"

"...right?" he says, seeking confirmation. "Oh, Kairi, I really didn't know what to do. I should've made a call, huh? I should've pulled her from the race. She can't run like that - "

"I think you did the right thing," I insist. "She's 18, you can't make decisions for her forever. She's mature enough to handle herself. If she thinks she can do it, she probably can."

"You haven't seen her anxiety at its worst…" Coach Tellah trails off, clearing his throat. "Anyways, let's go. You still have a race to run."

"Oh...that's right." Suddenly the nerves return, and I'm dreading my existence with every fiber of my being. "Coach...I want to - I have to - "

"C'mon, Kairi. Chop chop."

"...okay." Somehow, his expectations override my worries, and suddenly it's more important to run the race than angst about it. So drawing a deep breath, I follow Coach out towards the starting line and join the warm-up huddle.

* * *

"...don't know how she did it. Is that normal?"

"Is what normal?" Sora echoes dimly, dousing his head with water from his bottle. After finishing morning conditioning early, we're cooling down together before we hit the showers.

"To get anxiety before running." I pause, mulling the thought over. "I mean, I get nervous, but never _that_ bad."

"Well, I guess you have stress management techniques. Maybe she just couldn't handle the pressure. So, did she run in the end?"

"Yeah," I say. "I can't believe it. She was still shaking when she was on the starting line, you know. Or her leg was shaking really bad."

"She probably wanted to finish strong. She's a senior, right?"

"Yeah...oh, and apparently she's trying to get a scholarship for college, so she - she had to run, I guess."

"Oh, wow."

"Yeah. I...I can't even imagine. How can you run with that kind of pressure?"

"I guess it's a good thing you don't have to then. Right?" He narrows his eyes at me.

"Right! I mean," I snort, "we're talking as if I even qualify. I'm probably above average but I've never ranked at meets before. Almost, though."

"Almost?" he repeats excitedly, and I smile giddily.

"I mean, who knows? I was 12th this time," I announce proudly.

"Hey, nice!" He leans over to high-five me, and I'm obviously happy I get to boast.

"I ran my best time yet. Must be all these morning conditioning practices."

"I'm just glad you haven't killed me yet," Sora jokes.

"And you're welcome," I chime in. "If I keep this up...maybe I'll end up qualifying for a scholarship somehow."

"Like snatching candy from a baby," Sora says with a wide grin, and when someone is so encouraging like that, what can you do but smile in return.

Belatedly, I realize I've been talking about myself for the past 5 minutes. "So, how're things with you?"

"Huh? Oh, same old," he says dismissively. "Tests to cram, homework to procrastinate...been playing pickup games with some of the guys recently. I don't know...I guess I didn't realize we're halfway through the semester."

"Yeah...you're right, cross-country season's already over," I reflect nostalgically. Yet another season has passed, and for the most part, things are exactly the same. It's frightening thinking of how quickly time can fly like that.

"And soccer's right around the corner...after finals though," Sora laments, sighing tiredly. "I'm so done with this semester already. I can't wait till summer."

"Summer literally just ended a few months ago," I point out. "You're burnt out already? How're you gonna survive next semester with soccer season?"

"Honestly? I have no idea."

The seriousness in Sora's tone gives me pause, and I turn to look at him. He's lying on the grass, hands behind his head, staring at the sky. And a moment settles, a very...unsettling moment, so I feel compelled to break the silence.

"We have a Christmas break workout routine for cross-country that I could give Coach Fair."

"What?" he exclaims, shooting up into a sitting position. "Kairi...c'mon. You wouldn't."

I raise a brow. "I would, and you know that."

"You're right, you would," he quickly concedes. "You know Coach Fair's gonna kill us during soccer season, so let us live at least during the break, okay? Plus, you're dragging your cousin down too."

"Tidus could lose a few pounds." I pause, trying to think of a suitable jab. "He's like twice Selphie's size."

"That's cause he works out like a maniac," Sora says with a hint of disdain in his voice. "And...they're still together?"

"Yeah. Yeah," I say, the words coming more easily. "They're...still together. I think? I mean, I haven't seen them in awhile, and Tidus is hanging out with his friends all the time now...I guess I should check in with him. Maybe I should ask Selphie if she wants to hang out…"

"Wow," Sora says, mostly under his breath, but I catch onto it and narrow my eyes suspiciously.

"What's so surprising?" I ask with crossed arms, and he raises his hands in a placating manner.

"Oh, nothing, didn't think you heard me. It's just - you know, you were pretty upset with them. But you're checking in on them and hanging out with Selphie again...looks like you got over it?"

"I didn't get over - " I begin my statement passionately but realize there's no reason to act defensive with Sora, who's looking at me quite cluelessly. "I mean...we're good now, if that's what you're asking."

"Yeah, that," he says with an innocent grin. "Good to hear. That's one less thing I have to worry about around your cousin."

"What else do you have to worry about?" I ask curiously.

"Him trying to tell me what to do on the field," Sora returns with a frown. "Just team politics, all the good stuff."

"No way, team drama? Tell me! There's like no drama in cross-country cause we're all doing our own thing for the most part. Telllll meeeee," I wheedle like a child, latching onto his arm and swinging it about. Sora laughs, and I'm not above embarrassing him even further in public to hear what I want to know.

"Okay, okay...first of all, I wanna say this is totally _unbiased_ in any way, okay…"

" _Yeah, right._ "

"...do you wanna hear the drama?"

"Okay, yes, unbiased! Continue, oh wise one. I also give you permission to smack talk my cousin."

"When have I needed permission for that? Anyways, we were scrimmaging last week after school…"

Hearing Sora talk about soccer and Tidus reminds me of middle school, back when things were much simpler in my life. Mainly, life was about soccer, hanging out with Tidus, and trying to beat Sora in everything. Of course, I was also a whole lot dumber back then, so that might be why: problems just didn't occur to me. Now, old and jaded, life's gotten infinitely more complicated, but that's how it is, I guess.

Doesn't make me stop missing the good old days.

I'm in a pretty good mood that morning when I get to school, still riding that post-meet high and enjoying reminiscing with Sora. However, one sentence sends that mood all down the drain. I'm minding my own business, putting my books in the locker, when a girl whose name escapes me taps my shoulder and asks,

"I heard Naminé and Roxas are going to the Ball?"

* * *

 **A/N: Dun dun dunnn.**

 **Hi! Another chapter of stuff for you all to digest. I honestly don't have much to say, but I hope the colder weather will keep me indoors more so I'll be more inclined to write. :)**

 **Leave a comment, question, thoughts, or nonsense in a review and let me know what you think!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter TWENTY TWO**

Things to prep for Snow Ball

-figure out the shoes situation  
-figure out dinner plans _(prob Thai takeout at this rate)  
_ -figure out Naminé's plans _(c'mon bestie pls come thru)_  
-might as well try to figure out life while I'm at it

* * *

"Naminé. Naminé!"

She turns towards me with a pleasant smile, which slightly drops when she notices my panicky expression.

"Kairi…?"

I draw a deep breath, about to get my rant on when I realize the audience around us. Clearing my throat pointedly, I try to discretely stay on topic.

"So...is there anything you want to tell me?"

Naminé blinks confusedly. "Right now…?"

"Uh-huh."

"...um, your collar's wrinkled?"

"Ack!" Hastily I tug on my shirt to straighten its ends out. "Ahem. Okay, anything else?"

"Is something wrong, Kairi?" Naminé smiles nervously. "Usually you'll just tell me if you have a problem…"

"There's a _problem_ , alright!" I exclaim, barely refraining from pointing an accusatory finger at her. I can't hold it in anymore. "So who are you going to the Snow Ball with?"

Remaining her usual calm, composed self, Naminé blinks once, then twice. Finally, I see the metaphorical lightbulb light up over her head as her eyes slightly widen.

"...oh. How'd you know? I was going to tell you - "

" _Everyone_ knows except for me!"

Naminé's expression changes just subtly, her eyes narrowing a little, but I can feel a full blast of chilliness coming from her. "You're exaggerating, Kairi."

Her words hit a sore spot, but recognizing how the situation is growing a bit volatile, I try to get a grasp on my fluctuating feelings. As I notice people around us starting to pay attention, I recall again why I don't want to make a scene here.

"...right," I mumble, looking away from Naminé. "Let's talk during lunch."

Naminé's glare softens a little along with her tone. "Oh, I didn't...Kairi - "

Our homeroom teacher makes a most timely appearance, and we're forced to quiet down. I try not to look in Naminé's direction, afraid that I'll start getting upset again. On one hand, is it too much for her to let me know who she's going with? It's only all I've been asking about for the past few weeks. Is she holding out on me for a specific reason? Does she not trust me? I mean, besides my one slip up with Sora, who's like a harmless amoeba, I _am_ good at keeping secrets!

By the time lunch comes around, I'm much more complacent with the situation. I know I sometimes (just sometimes) overreact to things, but that's only cause I care, you know?

I'm seated at our usual table already when I spy Naminé approaching with her lunch tray, half-empty as usual. She quietly takes the seat across from me, and we munch on our food for a few minutes.

I've never been good with silences though.

"So...you're going with Roxas?" I ask. An acceptable question, right? I'm just confirming facts here, is all.

"...yeah. I mean, Ven was hinting that Roxas wants to go with me, but you know how he is." Naminé chuckles lightly. "And I decided to take your advice and just ask someone."

My eyes brighten at the thought of Naminé taking my advice. "Right? I mean...well, I didn't think you'd ask Roxas...but I guess I can't be mad at you for doing what I suggested you do!"

The corner of Naminé's mouth quirks upward. "Why are you mad at me?"

I pout at her completely oblivious tone. "I've only been asking for _weeks_ who you want to go with!"

Naminé laughs airily. "And I said I'd tell you when it happens."

"So, I guess it's happened now...wow, I feel dumb all of a sudden." I chuckle nervously. "I have no idea why - "

"Do you still want to get ready together?" Naminé asks with a smile.

"Huh? But...you're going with Roxas…"

"Well, we can still get ready together, right?"

Something drives itself into my gut and twists - I finally identify the painful feeling as _guilt_. Really, why do I keep almost screwing things up? With my track record, I'm really thinking I need a sit-down intervention, or at least to take some time and reflect.

"Kairi?" Naminé prompts.

"Oh - yeah! Yeah, let's get ready together!" I chirp eagerly. I smile at her. "Thanks, Naminé."

"Hmm? For what?"

"For…" I trail off. That's a good question. What am I thanking her for? "Thanks for being my friend."

Naminé makes a face at me and laughs. "You're awfully sentimental for a normal school day lunch." She pauses and narrows her eyes. "Did something else happen?"

"No! No," I hastily say, "just - never mind! Let's eat!"

"...oh, are you embarrassed now, Kairi?" Naminé grins ear to ear. "I have to tease you at least a little…"

"Naminé! Just - forget it! Well, don't actually forget it, but - !"

"You're so cute, Kairi!" She reaches over and - wha - is she - ?

"Dun squiz ma cheekz!"

"Aww, baby Kairi! Even cuter!"

* * *

With the Snow Ball coming up, I finally have something to look forward to. Maybe that's why every minute at school feels torturously long. The week drags on, and when the bell signaling the last class of Friday finally rings, I don't realize what it means.

Fortunately, I remember that I'm meeting with Naminé by the lockers after school. As I slowly put away my books, she ends up surprising me with her quiet appearance.

"Naminé!"

"Hey!" She smiles gleefully. "I'm so excited!"

"Huh?"

"For tonight! The Snow Ball!" She laughs at my expression. "Why are do you look so distracted?"

"Oh, yeah! Wow, it's not that I forgot, but just now, when the teacher...oh god, don't even get me started." Thinking about the recent paper I got back for that class makes my head hurt, and that isn't how I want to start the evening. Quickly readjusting my mindset, I summon a beaming smile. "Snow Ball! Which means time for us to get ready!"

"I have to run back home and pick up some stuff, but I'll be at your place by 5ish. Is that okay?"

"Yeah! That's plenty of time! I just downloaded this new game called _Rags to Riches_ so I'll probably be wasting my life as usual…"

Naminé grins. "Okay, sounds good! I'll see you then!"

We head out of the building together, but Naminé continues towards the gate where her driver is waiting for her. Huh, she's in a _really_ good mood. Is she that excited to meet up with Roxas? They're in a bunch of classes together, so she must've seen him today…

Nonetheless, who am I to question why the happiness bug has bit my friend? If anything, her joy is contagious and I find myself humming along cheerfully as well. I suppose even without the Snow Ball, it _is_ a good day. All Fridays are.

Shamelessly hosting my own solo music show inside my car, the drive home feels too short. I belt out the last few notes (more like try to) before hopping out. My first instinct is to turn on the music on my phone, but Mom's figure in the kitchen gives me pause.

"What are you doing here?" I exclaim at her presence.

Mom slowly raises a brow. "I own this house."

I roll my eyes - and she wonders where I get my attitude from? "Don't you have work?" I've been coming home to an empty house for years. In fact, I'm a little disappointed I can't continue my one-woman music show.

Mom shrugs and returns to wiping down the kitchen counters with a rag. "It's a Friday, and my boss didn't have any work for me so she let me go early."

"Lucky! I wish we can just leave school when we have no work. But I guess we always have work…" I frown, reconsidering that thought. "Anyways, I told you the Snow Ball's tonight, right?"

"Right. You and Naminé are getting ready here?"

"Yup, she's coming in a bit."

"Do you need me to get you guys anything?"

"Huh...uh, huh? Like what?"

"Oh, I don't know: bobby pins, a sewing kit...snacks?"

I stare at my mom, suddenly realizing that this is the first time she's been home while I get ready for a dance. "Uh, it's okay, Mom. Naminé's eating with Roxas - her date - and I was gonna order takeout."

"...so, no snacks?"

"On second thought, snacks sounds good." My motto is: you can never have too much food. Okay, I guess you can, but not tonight!

"Okay, snacks. Snacks, snacks…" Mom trails off mumbling that word to herself over and over. I'm a little concerned with how focused she is on the concept of 'snacks,' but the thought of _Rags to Riches_ waiting for me on my laptop quickly lures me to my bedroom.

Times flies when you're absorbed in an alternate reality of video games. Before I know it, Mom's knocking on my door to let me know Naminé's already here. Which is weird, because usually Naminé texts me when she's outside my house -

Oh. Three missed calls. My bad.

As I come out of my room, I notice my mom and Naminé making small talk. "...more time to be around, which I hope is good for Kairi," Mom says. As if on cue, both of them turn towards me and my timely entrance. I strike a pose.

"Guys, I haven't even dressed up yet. You can stare all you want later."

Then, to my confusion, both of them burst out in laughter.

Since I'm missing most of the context of the situation, all I can do is pout. "You guys are doing wonders for my self-esteem."

"Your mom's just trying to be supportive. Right, Mrs. O'Hara?"

Mom grins widely. "I like to think I've done what I can. Anyways, you two enjoy yourselves. I prepared some snacks for you guys…"

"Oh, you didn't have to! Thank you so much, Mrs. O'Hara."

"Of course, Naminé. Thank _you_ for always watching out for Kairi."

"Hey, hey," I interrupt. "I watch out for her too. This is a two-way relationship, Mom."

"Sure, Kairi. I'll be in the kitchen…"

"Wait, Mom, why do you sound so unconvinced? Mom - !"

Naminé distracts me by chuckling and pointing towards my room. "C'mon!" she beckons. Deciding whatever Mom said can wait, I help grab one of her bags along with Mom's snacks (which I'm pretty sure are the supermarket cookies put on a plate...nice, Mom) and we retreat to my room.

Finally, I get the chance to see Naminé's dress. She's shown me pictures of it, but seeing the real deal almost takes my breath away. "Oh my god, Naminé, this is gorgeous," I exhale. "And I think this shade of blue matches you really well."

Naminé smiles happily. "You think? I'm so glad. I asked my dad for _days_ for the money to buy this dress, and then when I finally brought it home, I thought the color looked a little off…"

"No, you can definitely pull it off! C'mon, let's put on our dresses!"

"Where'd you end up getting yours?" she asks.

I snort. "Well, rental dresses were out cause of what happened last year." If you must know, basically my mom thinks I'm still an elementary school student. Either that, or she thought the dance was a ballet recital or something, because that hideous, frilly, pink mess she rented was - _ahem._ Anyways. "So, after that time the two of us went shopping together, I found a design I liked and found a similar one at a thrift store."

"Oh, wow! So it's a fake? I can't even tell!"

I laugh, adjusting the shoulder straps and smoothing out the wrinkles. Looking at myself in the mirror, I frown at the small bump by my stomach that makes it look like I'm pregnant or something. With a food baby, yeah. Sucking in solves the problem, but can I suck in my tummy all night?

"Ta da! We look so cute!" Naminé squeals, posing next to me in front of the mirror. We go through a compliment relay and then head to the bathroom to do hair and makeup. I help Naminé straight her hair, and she shares some of her high-end makeup products with me because #bless her kind soul.

"Oh my gosh I can't wait!" I exclaim excitedly. "Oh, do you and Roxas have plans after? You're still sleeping over, right?"

"Right, I brought all my stuff!" Naminé says. "I don't think we have plans, but I'll let you know! Did you hear about the afterparty?"

"Where's it at?"

"Wakka's house, I think. Do you wanna go?"

I sigh tiredly, considering it briefly. "Nah, probably not. Knowing Tidus and Wakka, it's just gonna be the senior boys doing dumb stuff. We can come back and watch a movie or something. And you can spill about Roxas!"

"There's nothing to spill!" Naminé insists with a laugh. "I told you, we're going as friends."

"Sureeeee...I'll let you use that excuse for now. So, what's this?" I hold up an unlabeled tube of something I'd grabbed from Naminé's pouch of everything and anything.

We end up spending way too much time applying and taking off our makeup for a variety of reasons, which does not include my shaky hands. After finally perfecting our craft (as well as two high school teens can), I remember to call my favorite Thai place for takeout. Heading out of my room, we decide to conduct an impromptu photoshoot in the living room. Specifically, there is one wall that's the only clean part of the house and a suitable backdrop for our pictures.

"I'm back - whoa!" Dad exclaims, having stepped into the house just as the flash on the camera goes off. He ducks back out of the door, checks the sign, and looks in again confusedly. "This is my home, right?"

I roll my eyes. "Just come in, Dad, you're letting all the heat out."

"Hi, Mr. O'Hara," Naminé greets politely.

"Hi Naminé. You girls getting ready for the dance?"

"Yup, we're all set!" I respond. "Just taking pictures now and waiting for my food."

"Sounds good. Where's your mom?"

"Mom? Oh, right, she was home earlier...not sure." I frown. Considering our house is only so floor, she can only be in the bathroom or my parents' room.

"Okay...do you girls need help taking pictures?"

"Oh yeah, you can take some pictures for both of us! So Naminé doesn't have to keep adjusting her tripod!"

Naminé laughs, handing her camera to my dad and explaining which buttons to press. We strike a few elegant poses, a few dumb poses, and a few normal ones. There's gotta be at least one that I can use as a new profile picture! We end up spending quite awhile with Dad as our photographer - I blame the fact that he keeps making lame jokes to try to make us smile (to his credit, they actually work cause of how bad they are).

We're interrupted by the doorbell ringing, and since I'm closest to the door, I leap towards it, thinking it's my takeout. To my surprise, a familiar blond-haired boy is at our doorstep.

"Thanks for - oh, hey, Roxas," I greet, my enthusiasm instantly diminishing. Only because I feel deceived that it isn't my food. Roxas raises a brow, and since I have nothing to say to him, I turn around and holler, "Naminé!" like I'm a kid calling for mom cause some stranger is at our door.

Naminé blinks when I explain that Roxas is here already. "Oh! He's early," she notes, stuffing all her things into her clutch. "I'm sorry I have to leave you, Kairi. I'll see you at the place!"

"Yup!" I give her a tight hug, hoping I'm not ruining either of our outfits. "See you there!"

When we turn around, I realize Dad's struck up a conversation with Roxas in the meantime. How does he, a 40-something year old man find things to talk about with the most antisocial kid I know?

"Oh, hey. Naminé, this is your date, right?" Dad asks. I giggle in the background and Naminé laughs airily.

"Ah, right...we're going as friends," she explains.

Dad grins. "Alright. Are you kids in a rush? Why don't we get some pictures for you two?"

Naminé's eyes widen, as if the idea had just occured to her. "Oh! Um, I think we're good on time. Our reservation's at 7, right, Roxas…?"

"Oh...yeah." Roxas glances around shiftily. "Uh, pictures?"

"Yeah!" Dad says encouragingly. "Making memories, right? To remember that time you looked dapper in your suit with a cute girl by your side." Dad elbows Roxas teasingly, and he actually gets Roxas to blush? Why is Roxas acting like a normal teenager today? I mean, I guess he is normal….but…?!

"Okay...Roxas? Do you wanna take a few pictures?" Naminé asks with a small smile. I sorta feel like I'm watching a movie and I'm the audience holding its breath as Roxas hesitates for a moment before agreeing with a curt nod.

Throughout their photoshoot, I have to resist squealing at how cute they are. Even though it's Roxas. So mainly because it's Naminé. They are. Too. Cute! I join in with some directing, telling them how to pose and telling my dad how to angle the photo. This is _so_ gonna be the most precious thing ever!

"I think...we're good?" Roxas says hesitantly, withdrawing his hands from Naminé's waist.

"Aww c'mon, just a few more!" I insist, beckoning at my dad and telling him to try a different zoom.

"No, I'm done," Roxas says once more.

I roll my eyes at his attitude, but Naminé quickly concedes as well and I can only follow suit. Dad returns her camera and heads off to find Mom I guess. Naminé and Roxas then set out, and I'm super envious of how gorgeous Naminé looks as she and Roxas get in what looks like a rented car and head out into the night. So that leaves…

The takeout delivery guy. He needs to pick up the pace. I'm starving.

* * *

Halfway through the dance, I just want to head home. Mainly, it's my heels that are killing me.

Only in hindsight do I realize that everything leading up to dance had been the fun part. And perhaps I've built up my expectations too high for the dance to be anything but a disappointment.

I mean, now that I'm here, I'm just chilling by myself with a plastic cup of fruit punch in hand. The chaperones have been on it like a hawk, and no one's been able to steal any of the food or spike the drinks for that matter. So it's all just clean, harmless high school fun.

Fun, right?

I don't know, sulking with my drink in a dark corner of the rented event space isn't particularly fun. The most fun I've had so far is teasing Naminé and Roxas about how cute they are together, Naminé being the cutest little tomato, and Roxas scowling like he always does.

"Oh, excuse me," I mumble as I shift towards the side to make room for someone grabbing a drink behind me. That leads to me accidentally bumping into the person next to me and more apologies spilling from my tongue.

"Hey. Kairi."

The recognition in the speaker's voice makes me do a double take at the silhouette in the dark. "Oh...hey Sora," I greet, instantly relaxing and glad I've bumped into another familiar face. At least I'm not just standing here like a loner anymore. "I forgot you were coming."

"I forgot you were coming too," he returns easily, and I grin. Before I can say something, however, he glances awkwardly around as if looking for someone. That's nice, Sora, to disregard the person right in front of you.

"Did you come with someone?" I ask expectantly, figuring the only acceptable excuse for this blatant ignoring is if he's looking for his date. Sora turns back towards me and blinks owlishly.

"Oh, no. Didn't really have anyone to ask." He laughs hollowly, and I wonder if that's a self-deprecatory comment I'm supposed to immediately refute? Before I can speak, he asks, "What about you?"

"Huh? Me? Well, same, I guess," I say slowly, and after phrasing it like that, I realize I really can't say anything now. We're just two sad single souls. Sad.

He goes back to his looking around, and I'm getting frustrated at this point. "Sorry I'm not good company. Who are you looking for?"

Sora focuses on me again. "Oh!" he exclaims. "Oh no. C'mon, Kairi, that's not it. Uh." He clears his throat, and I'm still confused by his awkward behavior.

"What's up? Say something."

"I - err, I just wanted you to know, I saw Riku here awhile ago…"

Ah, that's right. _Riku_. It's funny how I've conveniently forgotten about him up until now. I guess a defense mechanism? He's a messy part of my life I just don't like thinking about. I try to keep things simple - I mean, so what if he's an ex? We parted on good - on _okay_ terms. We're...friends…

Which is what I decide to say.

"We're friends," I say as confidently as I can, which isn't much.

"...err, right. You didn't say anything to him last time we bumped into each other at the mall..."

"Okay - well - look, he caught me off guard. You caught me off guard! I didn't know you guys would be there!"

And of course, it's just my luck that I spy familiar silver hair passing by. Sora notices it too, and he gestures for me to...what, does he want me to hide? Does he think I'm a coward and can't face my ex or something?

"We're friends!" I repeat, though I'm sounding a little less confident even to myself.

Sora nods along. "Okay, okay. Look, he's gonna turn this way - "

"Stop it, Sora, you're being childish. We're _fine_ , okay? Look!"

Summoning a blinding smile, I wave in Riku's direction as we make eye contact. He's halfway across the room, and in the dark, I can't make out his expression. Nonetheless, he slowly waves back and - oh god, he's heading this way. That's not part of the plan - I just want to prove I can say hi to him - what am I gonna actually _say_ to him -

"We're friends," I repeat, though more to myself now.

 _What the shitting hell did I do?_

* * *

 **A/N: Ooh, look it's** **Clogallie back at it with her inconsistent updates! XD But never fear, readers, I always come back. Eventually. (I know I suck I don't even have an excuse but I swear this story will reach an end.)**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter TWENTY THREE**

Things I could say to Riku to start a conversation

-Hey, sorry to bother. Do you by any chance remember the name of that indie movie we watched near Thanksgiving last year…?  
-So, I heard you were gonna ask someone to Fall Formal, who was it?  
-Nice weather, huh?  
-You are the _worst_ I hate you why would I even want to talk to him huh?

* * *

"Hey guys," Riku greets nonchalantly as he approaches.

I feel a layer of ice freezing over my skin, immobilizing my body. Is this what hell feels like?

From my side, Sora sighs and then makes the effort to visibly perk up a little. "Hey man. What's up?"

"Not much, just chilling." Riku gives us a look with an arched brow. "You guys come together?"

My brain is still on its eternal lag, comprehending each word one by one. By the time the implication of his words catch up to me, Sora's already answering for us.

"Ha! What? No, we literally just bumped into each other."

My eyes then drift towards Sora, giving him a very unimpressed look. Okay, his vehement denial is duly noted. Because it'd be totally atrocious to come with me, huh? To even be associated with me? I mean, he could've denied it a little less intensely...

Sora looks at me from the corner of his eye. I give him a look to convey my above thoughts, but I suppose widened eyes of rage might've not delivered the message so well.

"Okay...anyways," Riku grins, "are you having fun?"

Am I the only one who feels infinitely awkward in this scenario? Why does Riku not take the first opportunity and high-tail it outta here, instead prolonging the pain by carrying on _small talk_? Small talk!

"Sure. This punch is great," Sora says, raising the plastic cup in his hand. "When'd you get here? I thought you guys - you weren't coming till...later."

"Oh. Well, we got here right after dinner. And I'm glad I did - otherwise I would've missed Wakka's conga line!" He and Sora burst out laughing about something, and I realize I should probably chuckle along out of propriety.

"Did you end up asking anyone?" Riku asks Sora. And since this is a _very_ interesting conversation topic, I turn towards Sora as well.

Sora blinks a few times and laughs disarmingly. "What? No, I told you, right? No one to ask." He shrugs, as if to say, 'what can I do?' Riku rolls his eyes.

"I'm pretty sure there's a lot of people who you could've asked," Riku says.

"Right...but no one I really wanted to, I guess. Ahem, anyways - "

"Oh, that's right. Cause of the whole, 'I want it to mean something,' right?" Riku chuckles, patting Sora on the shoulder. "I respect that, man. I asked Riku kinda sorta just to be funny."

...wait, what? He asked himself?

Sora grins. "Rikku-with-two-k's?"

... _ohh_.

Riku-with-one-k smiles back. "Yup. It's funny, right?"

He asked _Rikku-with-two-k's_?

Sora grins. "Right. Where is she, by the way? Shouldn't you guys be together?"

 _He_ _asked_ Rikku-with-two-k's?

"Good point, I should go find her. I'll see you guys later then, Sora, Kairi." He briefly looks me in the eye, and I manage to look at him for a good 3 seconds before turning away! How's that for progress, huh?

Riku enters the crowd once more, and a chill rushes over me. It's not necessarily a bad chill, however. It's more like a sudden quietness within my body, despite the booming music.

"...is this what closure feels like?" I murmur to myself.

"No, this is what awkward exes feel like," Sora supplies helpfully.

I shoot him a stern glare. "I hate you."

"Just telling the truth...you guys literally did not say a word to each other."

I'm about to rebut but realize the truth to his words. "J - just cause he was talking to you!" I stammer, crafting a response. "I didn't want to interrupt."

"...that's really polite of you, Kairi."

"Whatever. Why'd Riku ask Rikku-with-two-k's?"

Sora hesitates for a moment before speaking. "Like he said," Sora points out, "I guess it's mostly just to be funny? I don't know, Kairi."

All the possibilities run through my head. He says it's just to be funny, but Riku's not even a funny person. He's quite serious. So he must've been serious when asking her! Why Rikku-with-two-k's though? Just cause she's nice, pretty, and popular? I mean, I guess that's a solid criteria. How do Riku and Rikku-with-two-k's know each other? They're in the same grade, but...are they close friends? Were they just in the same class for something? Has he been admiring her from afar for years, and -

"You're thinking too much again."

"Huh?"

Looking up from my thoughts, I glance at Sora's pointed stare. He uses a finger to gesture at his own face.

"It's written all here. You keep making strange expressions like you're imagining Riku in weird scenarios."

"...Riku is weird."

"Well - he's different."

"He said he asked Rikku-with-two-k's just for fun. Why would you ask someone just for fun? I think it should be more serious than that."

Sora chuckles, shrugging again. "Just different expectations, I guess."

"That's like you're just teasing. Or what if you ask someone just for fun, but they think it means something more? That's just cruel. That's leading them on!"

"Hey, chill, I'm on your side," Sora reminds me. "That's why I didn't ask anyone - don't want to worry about all that. But that doesn't mean other people can't have different opinions."

"...okay fine."

Even I'm surprised by my quick submission. I guess after seeing Riku, I'm not in the mood to risk alienating any of my very few friends.

Our conversation reaches a comfortable lull, and that's when the DJ makes a timely announcement.

"Last fast song of the night! It's now or never, everyone! I want you guys to all hit the dance floor!"

A familiar tune starts playing overhead, and I can't help grin and let my body move to the beat. Sora gives me a disbelieving look, to which I roll my eyes and toss my hair over my shoulder.

"Did you even dance tonight?" I ask.

"I did!" Sora exclaims. "I was in Wakka's conga line!"

"That's it, huh?"

His silence is all I need to hear. As I inch towards the dance floor, I shoot him a challenging squint that's easy enough to understand. Slowly, he shakes his head and points at the cup in his hand.

"Weak!" I scream over the increasing volume.

"So's your reason for me to dance!" Sora hollers back.

"It's the last song!" I point out.

"No, he said it's the last _fast_ song."

"That means the next one's gonna be a slow one for - oh." A sobering thought occurs - he's waiting to ask someone for the last dance. "Okay. I mean, sure."

"...oh, what the heck." Sora puts his cup down and rolls his shirt sleeves up to his elbow. I want to laugh at his eagerness but don't wanna make him feel embarrassed for no particular reason. So I eagerly join the throng of dancers, raising my hands in the air and happily swaying along to the beat. I watch Sora follow through the corner of my eye, as he moves somewhat awkwardly at first. Gradually, he lets himself loose as he probably realized that no one's actually watching him.

That boy...he's like a kid sometimes.

And with a familiar tune in the air, surrounded by people, many of which I know, dancing to my heart's content without any other concern on my mind...it occurs to me that maybe this is what it feels like to be happy.

Or irresponsible, considering my recent Math quiz score and unwritten English paper due next week.

* * *

The night ends altogether rather anticlimactically. Without anyone to dance with for the last dance, I end up spying on Naminé and Roxas swaying in the crowd. They're cute, at least, though Roxas could consider dropping that permanent scowl of his. He's at a dance with the girl he likes in his arms! He could look a little more enthusiastic!

As the Student Council president says his finishing remarks and announces the end of the Snow Ball, we all begin shuffling towards the exit at once. I had made sure to grab my coat ahead of time, so cozy and warm wrapped up tight, I let the crowd carry me away into the chilly night.

Naminé pops out around ten minutes later with Roxas nowhere to be found. It's naturally the first question I ask.

"Oh, he's gonna go check out the afterparty, so he went ahead with that crowd," Naminé says, tugging on the sleeves of her coat.

"What? Quiet Guy likes to party?" I exclaim incredulously.

Naminé huffs while wrapping her scarf around her neck. "There's nothing wrong with that. Anyways, he's just going to watch over Axel for awhile."

"Okay...anyways, _let's go!_ "

What I'm looking forward to more than the dance has been the sleepover. It's the time to do girly things with the bestie, laugh at dumb stuff online, and grill her for juicy deets. I will not let my own lackluster life weigh me down; I am determined to live vicariously through Naminé.

We head back to my place and quickly drop off our things. To my surprise, Dad's still up dutiously typing away in front of his laptop at the dining table. He murmurs a greeting, barely looking up from the screen before returning to his work. This just confirms for me that I don't want to grow up and become an adult. All they do is work all day.

In my room, we quickly change out of our dresses. I sigh in relief as I put on my comfy pajamas. We end up snuggling in blankets on the floor, cause my tiny twin-sized bed can't fit both of us. Next time we should really sleepover at Naminé's - her house is _huge_ , and she has a queen-sized bed all for herself!

I remind myself to put my phone away and focus on the actual person in front of me. "So! Did'ja have fun?"

Naminé grins. "Yeah! Dinner was nice, and I had fun dancing with Roxas."

"As friends, huh?"

"Yes, Kairi, as friends." She chuckles. "You sound unconvinced."

"You know me," I say with a shrug. "I don't believe guys and girls can be 'just friends' like that."

Naminé pauses for a long time before speaking. "You and Sora are 'just friends.' Unless there's something you want to tell me?"

"I - "

Damn, bestie! Catching me off guard like that. She's a sneaky one.

"I mean, going to a dance as friends. Guys and girls can't just be friends like that. You're walking into a suggestive scneario and creating expectations for each other."

"I still disagree," Naminé argues. "You avoid creating expectations by establishing expectations in the first place. When I asked Roxas, I made it clear we're going just as friends, and he was fine with that."

"Well, you can say that, but you can't control how he feels."

"How would he feel? We're just friends."

I've pointed out to Naminé a million times that Roxas more than likely has a big fat crush on her. I don't know why everytime she kinda shrugs it off with disbelief. She's so adamant about her feelings that...I guess I feel bad for Roxas and end up not pushing the matter.

"Try going to a dance with someone next time," Naminé suggests. "I felt bad for most of the dance, like I was ditching you."

"What?" I exclaim. "C'mon, no! I was dancing and having fun! I - I even saw Riku." My voice trails off towards the end.

"...oh," Naminé says gently. "You guys talked?"

"Yeah. Well, I guess technically no," I correct myself, remembering Sora's words. "I was standing with Sora and he walked up to us. He was chatting with Sora most of the time. Get this - he asked Rikku to Snow Ball."

"Who asked Riku?"

"Riku."

"...what?"

"Riku asked Rikku-with-two-k's. From drama club."

"Oh - oh!" Naminé chirps. "I didn't know they were close...wait, as friends, right?"

I huff. "According to him, it was just to be funny. That's a lamer excuse than going as friends."

"I guess it is funny," Naminé says with a chuckle. She quiets down when she notes my solemn response. "Do you...feel bad?"

"Bad? No, of course not. Riku and I are friends...okay, maybe we aren't," I finally concede, and it's like a huge burden is let off my shoulders. I've been trying hard to prove Riku and I are friends, but I guess that's a bit hasty for me to say.

"Why not?" Naminé probes gently.

"I'm...I guess I'm still mad at him."

"For what?"

"For - for breaking up with me. Ugh, it's _embarrassing_. He dumped me! Because he thinks he knows what's best for me...that's the _shittiest_ excuse someone can use! That shitty bastard! Shitty excuses and shitty reasons for doing shitty things like breaking up shittily - is that even a word? Shittily?"

"Kairi...you should probably quiet down, or you'll wake your parents."

"Oh, shit - I mean, gosh, sorry." I sigh tiredly, collapsing onto the ground. "Maybe I'm a shitty person."

"Kairi! Of course you're not a bad person! Otherwise I wouldn't be friends with you."

I chuckle at Naminé's quip. "Thanks, Naminé. Also," I sit back up suddenly, looking her in the eye, "you didn't tell anyone, did you?"

"About…? You and Riku? Of course not!"

"Right, good." The school still thinks that we parted on amicable terms or however the crap saying goes. My pride greatly prefers that over being _dumped_. "Only 2 people should know about this."

"...me, and one other person?"

"Yup. And it'd better stay that way!" I exclaim, though there's really no need to emphasize it again. I'd sworn Naminé to secrecy over the summer when I first told her.

We finally quiet down after my passionate tirade and a curious question comes to mind. "You don't like anyone, Naminé?"

"Huh? As in, right now?"

"Yeah. Since you're _convinced_ no one likes you," I make sure my disbelief is palpable in my tone, "what about on your end? Roxas and Ven are just friends, so anyone else?"

"Hmm...I wouldn't say I actually like anyone right now." She sighs, stretching her legs and wriggling her toes. "I'm busy enough anyways, with school and yearbook and drama club. Today's the first break I've had in weeks. I'm counting down till Christmas break now."

Her words bring a smile to my face. "That's right - Christmas! I can't wait!" I chirp.

"We have that holiday play the drama club's putting on the last week of class." Naminé grins. "Are you gonna come?"

"I feel bad enough that I'm skipping like every drama club meeting." I chuckle. "Of course I'll go. I gotta see you in your first starring role!" I exclaim, shaking Naminé excitedly.

"It's a tiny role, barely starring," she corrects with a laugh. "But since we were low on actors, again, and Yuna recommended I give it a try…"

"I'll be there on the front row with my phone in hand, ready to record your every movement like a hovering mother! Uh…" I only realize my mistake after I've spoken (what else is new?). Naminé's mother is a touchy subject - sometimes it makes her cry, sometimes it just makes her super quiet and thoughtful.

To my relief, she's leaning towards the latter today. "I should go visit her soon...last time was over summer before school started. I'm just so busy." She sighs tiredly, running a hand through her hair. "The flowers I left last time are definitely all dried up by now…"

"We can go pick some out tomorrow, if you want?" I suggest.

Naminé grins. "I appreciate it, Kairi, but I usually like going through the motions all by myself. It's soothing to me, in some way," she explains vaguely, her voice barely audible in the end. "Plus," she clears her throat, "I don't think I'll have time to visit this weekend. My dad wants us to go to some corporate party on the other end of the city on Sunday..."

"Sounds like fun! And very tedious," I tack on, remembering that Naminé hates these mandatory family socials. Her dad's a big hotshot in some business industry (you can tell I know next to nothing about him), which involves a lot of schmoozing with a lot of people. I guess that's the part that isn't fun.

"He's probably cleared my flowers by now…" Naminé murmurs ruefully under her breath.

"Hmm?"

"Oh, nothing. Just talking to myself." She chuckles.

I make a point to stay away from this subject from now on. The rest of the night devolves into girlish gossip and giggles.

* * *

The next morning, since we slept late, Naminé and I don't get up till noon. It's Saturday anyways, so who can complain? Taking our time to get dressed and wash up, it's nearing 1 o'clock when we get to eating breakfast / lunch, courtesy of Mom.

"The two of you look exhausted," she comments as she serves a piping hot plate of scrambled eggs. "Did you have fun?"

"Yup! Skipped the afterparty and came home by curfew like a good girl," I feel the need to add.

Mom chuckles. "Good girl," she says, patting my head like she would a dog. I smile at her pleasantly, overall in a good mood this morning. By my side, Naminé chuckles at the sight.

The thought of Mom being home prompts me to ask, "Where's Dad?"

"Working," Mom says with a sigh, helping herself to the stack of pancakes she'd made. "He said he'll be back by dinner."

"On Saturday? I thought it's usually Sundays he works overtime. You're usually gone all Saturday."

"Well, his boss decided to extend her hours so he's working every other Saturday for her now. And my boss is cutting back."

"Dad's probably gonna come back and start lecturing us about our postures again," I predict. Because he works for a physical therapist, Dad thinks he's basically gone through the years of required schooling and gotten the license - and is basically a physical therapist himself. It was worse in the beginning when he kept talking about how many adults with carpel tunnel come in the office. Now, he'll just occasionally drop some friendly advice in the form of a cautionary tale.

"I could use some help with posture," Naminé says kindly.

"Don't let him hear you say that," Mom says with a snort. "He'll actually give you an hour-long lecture."

Kind, sweet Naminé continues smiling like she has no idea why that'd be a bad idea. Oh, kind, sweet Naminé...I'll let her experience it once just for the heck of it.

Naminé leaves after brunch, so I'm chilling with Mom for the day. I don't have any plans, and now that cross country season is over, I'm finding myself with a lot of spare time on my hands. Of course, I should be using that time productively to study or something, but…

It's so much easier being lazy.

I'm doing the above, lounging in the living room, when the doorbell rings. Since Mom's closer to the door, she answers it and I hear her let someone in. Curiously, I peer over and notice the unexpected visitor is Tidus.

"Hey," I call out from my reclined position on the sofa, "what're you doing here?"

"Huh? Oh, hey Kairi," he returns after realizing it's me. "My mom wanted to give you guys some of the homemade bread she baked today...it's actually really good," he adds. The thought of food prompts me to jump to my feet and I follow the scent of fresh bread, hands eagerly reaching inside the packaging for some -

"Kairi!" Mom exclaims as she returns with a knife in hand. "Wash your hands first!"

I follow her instructions dutifully as she cuts the bread into slices. Tidus is helping himself to some water, so I grab some too and sit next to him at the table with a slice of bread in hand.

"How was the dance? I didn't see you for most of it," I recall, which is sorta surprising because Tidus usually makes some sort of ruckus and becomes the center of attention.

Tidus shrugged. "It was okay. I just hung out with Wakka and left early to go set up for his party. Which was _sick_." He grins. "I'm surprised I woke up at 10 today without a headache."

Mom pretends she conveniently doesn't understand the implications of our words and excuses herself to her room. I laugh, finishing my water.

"Can't say I wish I went, cause parties that you think are 'sick' are just obnoxious to me. Why'd you leave before the last dance? I can't imagine Selphie didn't throw a fit."

"...I didn't go with Selphie."

My hand pauses halfway reaching for another slice of bread.

"Wha - she didn't want to go? No, she's Student Council, so she has to go. You mean you guys met there like usual?"

Tidus pauses before shaking his head. "No, I mean...we didn't go together. Selphie and I...we broke up, Kairi."

"..."

"..."

"... _WHAT?"_

* * *

 **A/N: Oh, what's this? Clogallie's updating in...2 weeks-ish? What has the world come to? IDK tbh, it's not like this chapter was easy to write. I guess cause I'm on break, I told myself I have no excuse. Also, reviews also always help. :)**

 **Also, did anyone else forget Kairi was in the drama club? LOL.**

 **Good news is I actually see the light at the end of this tunnel! I have the remaining major plot points outlined for the next few chapters, after which I plan to wrap things up by C30. Good whole number, huh? So, see! The end is in sight!**

 **Also, happy holidays to everyone! Hope you get to enjoy lots of food with loved ones.**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter TWENTY FOUR**

How to get SelTi back together \- _SelTi? Tiphie? Ugh couple names are so hard_

-Get Tidus to buy her a billion shoes, _but I don't know her shoe size_  
-Buy Tidus a billion soccer balls under Selphie's name  
-Make some big romantic gesture and set them up, _but what is romance_

 _also HOW, I'M BROKE_

 **ugh why are they doing this to me**

* * *

"They broke up!"

My exclamation travels down the halls of our school, which I immediately regret since I don't need the entire grade knowing my business. Naminé stares at me worriedly and takes the cue to grab my arm and drag me into an empty room. We get comfortable in seats and Naminé calmly asks, "What's wrong?"

"...my cousin, and Selphie! They broke up!"

I'm not crying (yet) but still rather upset. Huffing and puffing my frustration, I rant to Naminé about everything Tidus told me Saturday morning, which isn't much. All he'd said was that they broke up just before Snow Ball and they're still friends.

"Friends, my ass! He said they haven't talked in days!"

"Well, how's Tidus doing?" Naminé asks.

"Tidus? He's being his usual dopey self. I don't know, it's like he doesn't even care! Naminé, what's he gonna do? We have to get them back together!"

Naminé blinks and looks somewhat alarmed. Perhaps I dumped too much information on her all at once. "Um, I mean, maybe you should start with understanding why they broke up?"

"...good idea!" I chirp. "Once we know, we can get Tidus to say sorry and they can get back together!"

"Maybe...you could get Selphie's side of the story too? To get the full picture."

"Okay! Can you ask her for me?"

"H - huh?"

"Yeah, cause I'm gonna be interrogating Tidus. Again. He's not telling me _anything_ and it's really bothering me. What if it's something really serious? What if they can't get over this? What if this is it for them?"

"I mean, if this is it...maybe this is it." Naminé shrugged. "Maybe you shouldn't get involved in something that's about the two of them…"

"No! They have to get back together!" I exclaim passionately.

"Why?"

"...huh?"

"Why do they have to get back together?" Naminé asks. All I can hear is curiosity in her voice. "I'm just saying. It's really common for couples to break up. We're only in high school. Tidus and Selphie lasted a long time - almost 7 months, I think?"

"...right."

Naminé's question throws me off, but I'm still convinced I need to do something to push them back together. The topic dies off somewhat naturally, but I feel like things are still mostly unresolved. I guess at this point...I just have to figure out what I'm gonna do next.

* * *

Since Naminé seems a bit preoccupied to help, I decide to recruit someone else for my cause.

"You need to help me," I beg him the next morning.

Sora raises a brow confusingly. "What'd you do this time?"

"I need you to - wait, what does that mean?" The implications of his words are just registering. "You make it sound like I messed up!"

Sora snickers. "Isn't that what usually happens?"

"What! I mean...okay, sure, I've screwed up a few times - more than a few times recently. But this time, it's really not my fault!" I clear my throat, trying to get back on topic. "Look. Tidus and Selphie broke up. I need your help to get them back together."

"...okay, sure."

Sora agrees readily enough. In fact, I had reasons and ideas prepared to back my argument in case he had doubts like Naminé did. That takes some of the wind out of me.

"What were you thinking?" he prompts when I don't speak.

"Oh, right." If Sora's willing to cooperate, that makes things so much easier. "Okay. First, I need you to ask Tidus why they broke up. He was being very vague when he explained things to me, so maybe it's awkward cause Selphie and I are friends? Kinda. Not really. But anyways, maybe he'll tell you why. Cause you're bros, or whatever."

"Eh. Not so sure about the bros part, but I'll try," Sora promises. "So. When'd they break up?"

"Like last week! Right before the Snow Ball! They didn't even go together!"

"Oh! Now that you mention it, I think he told me about it then."

"What? And you didn't think to tell me?"

"I mean...maybe it was after I saw you? Yeah, must be it…" Sora trails off, chuckling nervously. I decide to give him the benefit of doubt and believe his words.

"Okay. You do that, and I'll try asking Selphie. We haven't talked in awhile though, and she might not tell me cause Tidus is my cousin…"

We commence our usual morning conditioning, which is just routine at this point. Having Sora as a workout buddy makes time pass by more quickly, because we're each trying to make the other laugh to grow out of breath. Neither of us is very serious about training, because cross-country just ended for me and soccer is after the holidays for Sora.

...hmm.

Something about that thought strikes me as odd.

I'm soon too tired to maintain my usual level of mental acuity, so irrelevant wonderings as such are quickly tossed to the back of my mind. Instead, my mission is to cruise through the day and find Selphie.

The first day I try to find her after school, but I'd forgotten about her handful of extracurriculars. Actually, for three days straight, I can't find her after school because she has so many clubs to attend. I try to catch her during lunch, but she's always studying or asking a teacher questions for some test or homework. Ugh.

Finally, after much effort, I stake out her class during my study hall, determined to catch her. As the bell rings, she appears as expected, dashing down the hall presumably to her next class. That's not a big deal for this runner though, and with a few wide strides, I catch up to her.

"W - what? Kairi, I'm gonna be late to my next class - "

"C'mon, I just have one question! What happened? Why'd you guys break up?"

Selphie finally comes to a stop, which is smart because did she expect to outrun a cross country athlete? We're in a somewhat isolated location behind the school building, so that's enough privacy for her, right?

"Look, Kairi. Your timing is really bad, so I'm gonna keep it short and simple - "

"That's all I want!"

Selphie shoots me a look and then sighs. "Things weren't working out. Tidus is a senior, so he just wants to enjoy the rest of high school. And I'm swamped with schoolwork, and club activities, and trying to get in a good college to study business so I can - " She abruptly cuts herself off and sighs. "We're still friends, Kairi. Don't worry. Things won't be awkward for too long."

"But - after all you guys went through! You guys were so good together!"

Selphie smiles somewhat rigidly. "Yeah, it was good. But, like the saying goes, all good things come to an end? Just cause it ended doesn't mean it wasn't good."

I'm still somewhat tongue-tied by Selphie's eloquence and racking my brains for something smart to say. Selphie checks her watch and grasps my arms with her hands.

"Sorry to run, but I really got to go. Look, I'm not sure if you're asking cause you're worried, or if Tidus wants to talk to me - but don't worry. And tell Tidus he knows to call me if he wants to. I'm always there for him."

My eyes narrow, partially confused by the progression of events. I think Selphie's misinterpreted why I'm talking to her...but if she thinks Tidus wants to talk and is waiting for a call from him…!

"Okay, I'll let him know!" I chirp enthusiastically. Selphie smiles wanly and then rushes off, leaving me with plans stewing in my mind.

* * *

Sora dutifully reports what he learned from Tidus the next morning.

"He said they're both too busy to spend much time together," he responds succinctly when I ask him.

"...that's it? That sounds like an excuse!" I exclaim.

"Well, it's a valid reason," Sora points out. "Soccer season's about to start, and we're doubling up on practice."

"There's always soccer practice," I point out, which is absolutely true - our high school's boy's soccer team is renown for their commitment to the sport. Maybe because it's one of the few sports our school has generally been good at. They practice on and off during off season, and during spring, they're out on the field at least 2 hours a day, including weekends, _not_ including time for conditioning.

Point is, Tidus always has soccer practice, and if they really wanted to make things work, they would be able to.

"What'd Selphie say?" Sora asks. "Is she busy too?"

I roll my eyes. "I guess. She's in a billion clubs, who knows why? I mean, I know it looks good on her transcript and she wants to get in a good college and blah, blah, blah...but yeah, that's why she said they weren't working out. But they were a really good couple!"

"Well, stuff can happen, and things can change. I mean, it sounds like things aren't that bad if they're open to talk about it."

"Wow. You sound exactly like Selphie." I narrow my eyes on him suspiciously. "Do you guys talk or something? Did she tell you why they actually broke up? You didn't have anything to do with it, did you - ?"

"Hey, hey!" Sora protests. "Are you actually accusing me of sabotage when I've been trying to help you out?"

I exhale deeply, letting my suspicions go as well. "I'm just trying to figure things out. It doesn't make sense! They were all lovey-dovey everytime I saw them, back when I didn't want them to be together, and the moment I get over it, they break up?! Something's wrong here!"

"Maybe it has to do with you."

"W - what?" I stammer, glancing at Sora confusedly. "Why are you accusing _me_ now?"

"I'm just saying!" Sora says defensively. "I mean, more than anything, it sounds like they broke up just 'cause, and they're not actually looking to get back together."

"But - !"

My brain hits a wall, and it's nigh hour AM in the morning, which means I'm not actually thinking straight yet. "I give up, for now. My mind's not making any sense, and I'm running on five hours of sleep."

"Why'd you go to bed so late?" Sora snorts.

"I was rewatching _Sole Liter_ , I forgot it gets so good in the middle, and I couldn't stop!" I chuckle amusedly, remembering all the feels from last night.

"Then you could've just skipped training this morning and slept in," Sora says. "It's not like you need to condition for anything anymore."

"I - "

Sora's looking at me funny as I run his words through my mind: I don't need to condition for anything anymore. Which means I don't need to come to morning conditioning anymore. This is the strange feeling I'd gotten earlier when thinking about the fact that cross-country season is over, but I'm still waking up so early every morning just to - just to come and…

"Kairi? Kairi, you there? Kairi - hey, wait, where are you going?"

I hear Sora's voice calling after me as my legs run as fast as they can to carry me away from the scene. My thoughts and emotions are running too wild for me to discern exactly what I'm thinking or feeling. And not for the first time, I thank the fact that I am a runner -

"Kairi, you know I run faster than you."

\- which means... _ack,_ it's Sora!

I come to a stop when I realize he's right, he does run faster than me, and I'm dead exhausted after all that conditioning we just did. Huffing and wheezing, we're both in a competion to see who catches their breath first.

Surprise, surprise: I'm very competitive.

"What are you doing?" I exclaim vehemently.

He gives me a weird look. "That's my question. What are you doing just running off without a word?"

"I - I had to go! Just didn't get the chance to say bye!" I pull that fib straight out of thin air, and it's a miracle I could think of it. Sora standing so closely is giving all sorts of weird signals. For one, he's rarely the confrontational type, always letting me off the hook when I do choose to run away from things. So what does it mean that he's coming after me this time -

"Well...you left your water bottle."

I stare at the offending object in his hands, almost wanting to will it away from existence. Quickly snatching it up, I stuff it in my bag and cross my arms, turning to view Sora once more. Nervousness is quickly replaced by the usual tendrils of frustration I associate with this boy.

"Anything else?" I ask.

"...nope," Sora says with a straight face.

And though I'm not sure why, I realize what I'm feeling right now is _disappointment_. What was I expecting? What would Sora want from me? I narrow my eyes at him, scrutinizing him and trying to suppress the burgeoning feeling in my chest, telling myself this is nothing, this means _nothing_.

But obviously, the gaping hole I feel in my heart suggests his lack of response means _something_ , at least to me.

"...okay, actually, I have a question," Sora says. I look towards him eagerly, wondering what he could want to ask. "So...do you have to go now?"

"Huh? Oh, no, I mean - I can stay a bit longer." I nod, gesturing for him to continue.

Sora draws a deep breath and then sighs. "So...he's been complaining about it a lot recently, and just really distracted overall. What's up with you and Riku?"

…

Oh wow, are we going there?

I exhale, trying to find the words to say. "Nothing. We're - " We aren't friends, as I'd established to myself. It's easier after accepting that fact. "We're just kinda awkward exes," I say, finding that an overly simplified but apt description of our relationship. "Things ended...on a bad note, and we haven't really aired out our complaints to each other. So it's a little awkward." I proceed to shrug casually, trying to emphasize that this is no big deal. "I mean, whatever, it's okay."

"...well, if things are just a little awkward, you wouldn't be avoiding him, would you?"

"What? I'm not avoiding him!" I exclaim. "I said hi to him during the Snow Ball!"

"Well technically, you waved. And then when he came over to talk, you didn't say a word."

Oh wow. I'm just realizing the truth in Sora's statement. I literally have not said a word to him. No wonder it feels like things are awkward - _because I make it awkward._

The realization is chilling and not entirely welcome.

"Wouldn't it be better to just talk things through with him? I mean, he obviously still cares about you, cause he's all wrinkles and frowns whenever I see him - "

"Wait, what do you mean by that?"

"Not, err, like he wants to get back together or anything!" Sora hastily exclaims, though that hadn't been my concern at all. "Just that I see him frowning in your direction, sighing a lot after you leave...that stuff. And I don't like seeing my best friend so upset like that."

"Sure, so you're blaming me. Aren't we friends too?"

"We are! And obviously the situation isn't helping you either! So why don't you guys...work things out? Talk things through? Maybe it's just a big misunderstanding - "

"It's definitely not _just_ a misunderstanding, Sora."

" - okay, sorry, that was presumptuous. Sorry, that's not what I meant. I mean, maybe you can work things out so you aren't the awkward exes but the friendly exes!" He beams like he's promising me a bright future.

Along with the gentle prodding and obvious investment he has in another's happiness...plus, who can resist a smile like that?

"Okay... _I'll think about it_ ," I quickly amend my statement when Sora bursts into cheers. His ridiculous happiness makes the corner of my mouth quirk upward as well. "You're really happy about something that doesn't directly involve you. I can't tell if this is you being a good friend or just nosy."

"It's the former, and I'll take that as a compliment," Sora insists. "Also, here you go."

"What is this?" He hands me a thermos and gestures for me to take a look inside. Uncapping it and taking a whiff, I quickly realize it's coffee and take a sip.

"Oww! It's hot!" I exclaim, but the caffeinated liquid trickles down my throat and I sigh satisfactorily. "This is so good...hey, this is my usual!"

"Yup! All nice and hot for you, cause it's getting cold real fast," Sora comments, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Consider it a reward for helping me out."

I take another sip of the heavenly liquid. "I wouldn't say 'helping you out,' I mean, if anything, you're the one helping me and Riku out. So this coffee is like another point for you." Sora smiles innocently while I continue, things slowly coming to mind. "And all the coffees you bought for me. Wow, that's a lot of money, isn't it?"

"Not really - "

"That must've racked up. Wow. Sora, you should've said something!"

"It's really not a big deal - "

"And trying to look out for me about Riku. I never realized you're actually a nice person, Sora!"

Sora snorts and rolls his eyes. "Thanks, Kairi. Okay, I'm gonna go shower."

"Please do, I was gonna say something about the smell."

" _Wow_ , Kairi, you're really good at this complimenting thing."

"What can I say? Just trying to keep it real."

I smirk at his mocking smile and then burst out laughing. It's hard not to when you're around Sora.

* * *

 **A/N: Heyy, maybe this story is finally getting somewhere...or not. XD**

 **Shenanigans aside, I apologize for the lack of plot / action and will try to instill more drama in this slice-of-life story slowly chugging along...**

 **Comments and reviews are, as always, much loved and appreciated. :) Out of curiosity, does everyone read the lists at the beginning of the chapter?**


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter TWENTY FIVE**

Things to buy

-Looseleaf paper  
-Blue and black pens  
-Tampons  
-Granola bars  
-New running shoes, _cause mine are like 1 year old_  
-Soccer ball, _been thinking of getting back into it_  
-Ooh a new beanie would be nice

 **okay...definitely don't have $$ for all of this - time to ask the parental units**

* * *

It's time I put the final step of Plan: SelTi into motion.

My last-ditch attempt to set them up together isn't anything fancy. Namely because I am a broke teenager with no sense of romance. The only thing I have going for me now is that I know both of them. So, after a quick phone call here and a simple request there, Selphie and Tidus both plan to meet me by the cross-country track after school this coming Friday.

I find myself a cozy position beneath the bleachers, where there's minimum dust and dirt accumulating, to set myself up. There's a lot of waiting, cause I get texts from both of them saying that they're running a bit late. Finally, a familiar figure runs across my line of sight, and my mouth opens with surprise -

" _Sora!_ "

His head whips in my direction confusedly, because my hiding spot is top notch and he doesn't notice me at first. I head to a more conspicuous area and wave at him, but it takes the unobservant boy at least ten seconds to notice me. His face lights up as he dashes over to say hi.

"What're you doing here?" I hiss.

He takes notice of my sharp tone and shoots me a confused look. "Uh, going to scrimmage with some guys, on the soccer field, as a student of this school..."

"Ugh, right. Ignore me." I shoot Sora another look and notice his new shoes. "You know...I feel like it's been awhile since I've seen you."

"Yeah, same. Probably because you ditched me and morning conditioning."

I open my mouth to protest but he's right, I did. Ever since realizing there's no reason for me to go to morning conditioning anymore, I'd stopped. I mean, even though Sora's great company and all, that's hardly sufficient reason. Waking up at nigh hour in the morning just to see him? That's - that's crazy! I mean, you'd think I _like_ him, or something.

Ha! What a thought.

"So, what're _you_ doing here?" he asks. Only then do I remember why I'm here. Quickly, I look around, hoping neither Tidus nor Selphie have gotten here. "You look like you're hiding from someone," he continues.

I shoot him an incredulous look and lean in. That makes his brows furrow as he warily leans back. "How...did you know?" I whisper.

"H - huh?"

"You _know_ about Plan: SelTi?" I exclaim. "I literally told _no one_ \- except maybe Naminé during lunch - oh my gosh, what if someone overhead us, then told Tidus and Selphie, and now my plan is screwed!"

"...uhh, anything I know is cause you literally just talked about it," Sora points out weakly. I'm about to argue otherwise but again realize he's right. Why is he always right? Perhaps a better question is: why am I always wrong?

"Plan SelTi...I see you're back to your naming scheme. Does SelTi stand for Selphie and Tidus?"

" _How do you know?_ "

"You were just talking about Tidus and Selphie…"

I sigh, shutting my eyes out of embarrassment. I am literally the worst at keeping secrets. How am I ever gonna be a ninja, or spy, or - or a trustworthy friend?!

"Hey, err, they probably don't know about it? I mean, Tidus is heading over now - "

Hearing the keywords 'Tidus' and 'heading over,' I latch onto Sora's sleeve and drag him towards my hiding place. He yelps and says something in protest, but an urgent "SHH!" shuts him up. We watch as Tidus comes to a stop near the meeting area, looks around confusedly, and pulls out his phone.

"What's going on?" Sora hisses.

"SHH!"

"C'mon, Kairi! You're holding me hostage!"

Only then do I realize I basically have Sora in a chokehold. Quickly letting him go and restoring a comfortable personal bubble, I clear my throat and explain Plan: SelTi.

"It's simple. Obviously they have stuff they wanna say to each other, so I told them to meet me in the same place at the same time."

"...like right here, right now, so they'll see each other?"

"Exactly! They'll see each other, and...well, I guess this can go either way. Either it'll go really well or ruin things for them forever."

"That sounds a little dramatic...and kinda fun, so I guess I'll stay."

I snort at his response when my phone starts ringing. Hastily trying to shut it off, I take a wary look at Tidus and hope he hasn't heard anything. Only when I notice that Tidus is on his phone do I realize that he's calling me.

Clearing my throat, I pick up and answer lowly, "Hello?"

"Hey, I'm here. Where are you?"

"I'm - uhh…" I trail off, looking at Sora worriedly. He cocks his head sideways, and I point at Tidus' figure. He gets the hint and makes some obscure hand gestures that are impossible to interpret, so I go with my gut.

"I'm, uhh...running!"

Sora stares at me, boggle-eyed. His hand slaps his forehead and he shakes his head with a sigh. I shoot him a stern look - it's his fault for not helping!

"What do you mean, you're running?"

 _Running late_ , Sora mouths, to which I nod hastily.

"Running...running late!" I finish smoothly. "I - I'm almost there!"

"Wow, and you told me to hurry when I texted you I'd be late...well, c'mon! Mom wants me to pick up some groceries later."

"Okay, I'm coming. Gimme a sec...or a few minutes."

Hanging up, I check my phone for any other updates on Selphie's ETA. As if on cue, she texts me saying, _Almost there!_ I cheer, show Sora the text, and await her arrival.

After what seems like forever, she comes from around the corner. Her hair is styled in her perfect curls, as usual, and she's dressed like she's going to a job interview. I've always been super jealous of her superb sense of fashion.

I hold my breath as she slowly approaches Tidus. My hiding spot is perfect - we're hidden from sight but close enough to eavesdrop on their conversation. Listening intently, I watch Selphie wave her hand at him tentatively.

"Hey, Tidus," she greets softly.

Tidus glances up from his phone (and this time I remember to silence my phone so it only vibrates in my pocket when he texts me). "Oh, hey. What's up?"

"Not much. I'm meeting Kairi here in a bit...you?"

"Huh? Oh, me too…err...this is awkward. I swear, she said she wanted to meet here..."

…

Oh my god, the silence is killing me! With all the tension building, I have no idea what's going to happen. Are they gonna burst with fiery accusations of lies and betrayal? Will they break down into tears and apologies spilling from their lips? Is this gonna be a swift kiss and make up?

Selphie opens her mouth to speak, and -

She laughs.

I stare, slack-jawed. My jaw only drops further when Tidus joins in. This is the last thing I'd expected would happen. What...what does this all mean?

"You could never lie. So I know you're telling the truth," Selphie says with a grin. "Which means...she set us up."

"Huh?" Tidus looks so confused. I wish I could take a picture - he looks like an idiot.

"Kairi. She stopped me in the halls the other day, just to ask about us. She doesn't seem to believe that we broke up but we're still friends?"

"What? That's exactly what I told her!" Tidus exclaims. "I mean, I swear, Selphie, I don't know why she'd do that - "

"I do."

"Huh?"

"Huh?" I don't notice I'm thinking aloud until Sora shakes my arm and signals for me to keep quiet. Covering my mouth with my hand, I continue watching the scene unfold before me.

"It's Kairi," Selphie says, as if that explains everything. It doesn't! "It's like when she was against us dating. It didn't fit in her little worldview, so it took the longest time for her to accept things. And just when she's accepted it, things have flipped on her head again. She's not good with things happening outside of her control."

Tidus is silent for the longest time but then slowly nods. "I...think I get what you're saying. She always likes things to go her way. And they do, for the most part."

"She's got drive. That's how she gets things done." Selphie sighs wistfully. "I wish I were half as determined as her."

"You mean stubborn?" Tidus snorts. "When she sets her mind on something, no one can stop her."

They share another laugh, and gradually I turn my attention towards myself. Am I really the type of person they just described? Actually I'm a little confused - half the time they made me sound like a spoiled brat, the other half they were praising my determination or something. Should I be happy or upset?

"Anyways. I'll just tell her I had to go," Selphie says, already taking out her phone. "In fact...maybe she's nearby keeping an eye out on us."

Immediately I duck downward, despite knowing that I'm out of Selphie's line of sight. I hold my breath and after awhile force myself to take a peek, verifying that they haven't seen me yet.

"I'm...sorry, Selphie," Tidus begins tentatively. "I feel like I'm wasting your time."

"First off, this is totally on Kairi." She giggles. "And second...you'd never waste my time. We _are_ friends, right?"

"Right, yeah." Tidus sighs. "Thanks a lot, Selphie. For everything."

"Of course. Hey, let me know when you start hearing back from colleges!"

She leans in and they hug for what seems like forever - or maybe it's just me, I can't tell anymore. Seeing them both reaffirms my belief that they should be together. But looking again, I can also see how they're just friends now, and that's absolutely okay.

I feel a little empty watching them both walk off. This all feels, like Selphie said, like a waste of time.

"...I screwed up again," I mumble.

"Hey, don't say that," Sora says. I jolt a little at the sound of his voice. Too lost in my own thoughts, I'd forgotten he was here too. "You want the best for them, right?"

"Yeah - yeah, that's all I ever want." I sigh frustratedly, trying to voice my concerns while trying to manage a deluge of emotions. "I thought they just needed a push to get back together, so they could be happy again...but I guess they're happy like this too."

"I'm sure they know you just want them to be happy."

"...yeah?" I sigh tiredly, upset with having wasted everyone's time, but infinitely reassured by Sora's kind words. He's really good at this comforting thing. I look up at him and smile. "Thanks, Sora."

"Sure. For what?"

"For...I don't know!" I start to panic when I realize I'm growing soft on him. "Just - thanks. I owe you one, okay? What do you want?"

"What?"

"I owe you one! So, state your demand."

"I really don't need anything, Kairi - "

" _What do you want?_ "

After my exclamation, I realize how silly I am, getting worked up about owing him one. But I dislike owing Sora, and I know like this isn't the only time I owe him, so it's about time I pay up. I don't like being indebted to someone else.

"Oh! Okay," he begins, and I pay full attention to what he says. "Remember what I asked last time?"

"What?"

"To talk to Riku. Did you get to do that?"

I sigh tiredly, a bit peeved the conversation's heading in that direction. "No...not yet." With Sora watching expectantly, I feel compelled to explain. "It's...hard, okay? I told you, we're the awkward exes. This is just...really awkward!"

"But if you guys talk, then it won't be awkward! Like Tidus and Selphie!" he points out. "I don't mean to be nosy or anything, but...I think this is one of those cases where you guys actually need a push."

I frown. "Is this your way of saying this is all for my own good?"

"I'm glad you got the message!"

I roll my eyes. "Okay, okay I'll get to it. You know, you have a way of getting me to do things I don't like to do."

"I'm not sure what you're referring to, but I'll take that as a compliment."

"I'm calling you manipulative!" I exclaim. "You made me wave at Riku at the Snow Ball...you got me to condition in the mornings when I'm _not_ a morning person at all...hell, you're the reason The Bonfire Incident happened! I mean, skinny dipping with you?"

"How is that my fault?"

If I must expand on The Bonfire Incident...basically, just believe me when I say it's all Sora's fault. And probably Selphie's too, now that I think about it. I mean, just think! There's no way I'd volunteer to... _do that!_ With Sora!

"It's one of my life's greatest regrets," I declare emphatically.

"...you're 17," Sora points out. "Your life's barely begun."

"Exactly. I'm only 17, and I already know it's gonna be one of my life's greatest regrets."

* * *

Despite the last hour (and days of planning for Plan: SelTi) being an absolute waste of time, I reach home in a pretty good mood. I guess I'm just glad that I'm finally okay with things between Tidus and Selphie. There is, of course, a furious text from Tidus in my phone, but I'll leave that problem for tomorrow - or never.

Mom and Dad are both home by the time I get back. I'm slowly growing accustomed to their presences. At least it means hot homemade meals waiting for me!

"Smells good! What'd you make, Mom?"

"Excuse me?" Dad sticks his head out from the kitchen and chuckles. "I'm taking credit when due."

"Oh, my bad Dad," I laugh. "What're you making?"

"Lasagna and a salad. It'll be ready in a bit. Can you get your mom?"

"Yeah, sure. _Mom!"_

Of course she doesn't hear my loud shout, even though our place is only that big. I knock on the master bedroom door, pausing a moment before barging in. Mom's seated by a vanity table, reorganizing her jewelry from the looks of it.

"Kairi. You're back early," she comments, rising to her feet and turning towards me.

I grin. "Cause cross-country's over, so I don't have to stay after school so long anymore."

"Oh right. You should come back earlier and study some more."

"Yeah, right," I drawl, already tired of listening to the same thing again and again. Judging by Mom's sigh, I figure she feels the same way about saying it. But it's not like she'll magically stop telling me to work harder one day. We're just stuck in this cycle, aren't we?

"Dad says dinner's almost ready," I report.

"Sounds good, I'll be out in a bit," she says, reaching for her handbag. Spying her wallet, I recall my other sub-mission.

"By the way, can I get some money to buy looseleaf paper and pens? I'm running out."

"Oh, for school? Alright, I can buy those for you next time…"

Oh, well...there goes my plan of getting some money for a cute new beanie. "Also some granola bars? I'm always hungry during the block before lunch."

"Well, you could try waking up early enough to actually eat breakfast." Mom shoots me a pointed look, and I chuckle back. She knows I'm not a morning person! Finally, she relents as well. "I guess we can't have you starving in the middle of the day at school."

"Could I also get a new beanie? It's getting kinda cold."

"...I thought I gave you your allowance for the month already. It's the middle of December."

"Err, right. You know, cause the cross-country team went out to celebrate the end of the season, so I might've spent most of it... _or all_ ," I finish weakly. I avoid meeting Mom's gaze, cause I already know what she wants to say.

"Kairi...you need to be more responsible with your money. We give you allowance every month because we expect you to spend it wisely. You can't just use it up and expect us to give you more when you run out."

"I know, I know. Can't I just use next month's?"

"You know it doesn't work that way. And don't you have a beanie already?" Mom points out. "You're gonna have to wait till next month, Kairi. Take this as your lesson in what happens when you don't budget wisely."

"But Mom! C'mon, that beanie's like _10 years old_ , and it's gonna get cold like next week! I've already picked one out at the store, and it's not even that expensive - "

"Kairi! I said, you need to be more responsible! Why can't you take the time you spend on window-shopping and put that into studying? I'm sure your grades would improve - "

"Oh my god, not again!" I throw my hands in the air. "You're always complaining about my grades, about how I'm not working hard enough. You don't even see me studying! I _am_ working hard, just so you know! It's just - school's hard, and I'm just not smart enough, okay? I don't like tests, I don't like studying, and I'm trying, but it's really, _really_ hard! You don't understand _anything_!"

"Kairi! You shouldn't think that you're not smart! I remember back in elementary school, you would always finish all your homework before dinnertime - "

"That was elementary school! Homework was a joke!" I scoff. "You know, speaking of elementary school, I think that's the last time you actually saw me studying. Then you got too busy at work and I became a second priority - "

" _Kairi!_ You were never a second priority - "

" - never made it to my cross-country meets, so I stopped inviting you - "

" - just that one time! And I thought you were embarrassed by us so we didn't ask - "

" - just wish you'd stop complaining about how I spend too much money, or I don't study enough. I know I'm not perfect, okay? Stop wishing I was!"

"...what's going on here?"

Mom and I turn towards the bedroom entrance, where Dad stands. Wearing his apron and with spatula in hand, he looks somewhat comical, but the tension in the air stretches on.

I draw a deep breath and sigh loudly, reminding myself to stop the verbal vomit before I say something I really regret. "Nothing," I mumble, scooting past him and towards my own room. I shut the door loudly behind me, hoping they get the message that I _don't_ want to talk.

…

An hour later, my stomach threatens to betray me.

Seriously. It's growling so loudly, I think my parents can hear me from beyond the closed door.

But this is a matter of _pride_ at this point. I'm making a point - that I'm not the perfect student / daughter / girl they expect me to be. I'm a _person_ , which means I'm not gonna be perfect, and it's not fair that they expect me to be.

I ignore a soft knock, and my dad's subsequent, "Can I come in?" I have my headphones on and I'm staring at my laptop, so my back's towards the door. But I'm not actually listening to anything, so I hear the door slowly creak open and my dad's footsteps behind me.

"Kairi. Kairi? Kairi, it's me."

Very, very slowly, I turn around on my swivel chair and look at Dad. He holds up a slice of lasagna as a peace offering, and no further words are needed as I snatch the plate from his hands and dig in. My dad laughs as he grabs my sturdy nightstand and places it next to me, seating himself.

"...how does it taste?" he asks after giving me a moment to eat.

Between bites, I manage a jumbled, "Iz gud!" For reassurance, I give him a thumb's up. He laughs and then falls silent.

The only sound in the room is me munching on my meal, and the whirring of my laptop fan. My stomach starts to ache from eating too fast, so I set the plate down on my desk and drink some water. When I look up, I see Dad watching me pointedly.

"...I know what you're gonna say," I begin.

"Oh really?" he says. "Have I become that predictable? I'd like to think I can still surprise you and your mom."

I roll my eyes at Dad's lame attempt to lighten the mood (that works). "You're super predictable, Dad. You always order the same thing from the Thai place. Pad thai, with extra peanuts."

"Alright, you have a point. Your dad's a man of habit," he says with a chuckle. His face then grows solemn. "So, do you still wanna hear what I have to say."

I sigh and turn towards the side, crossing my arms. "Nah. I guess I'll apologize to her." Pausing for a moment, I then turn towards him. "But it's just not fair! All she does is tell me to study hard, get good grades, and stop spending so much money - I mean, I get it! And I'm trying! She's doesn't even see me try, cause she's working all the time! She doesn't have the right to judge me!"

"Kairi...first, your mom and I would never judge you. When she tells you to work hard, it's because she knows - _we_ know that you can do better. You're our daughter, Kairi. That's why we have high expectations - because we know you can do it."

"I can't!" I protest. "I try - but I just...it's hard! You try doing my pre-calc homework!"

"Of course we know it's hard, and your first instinct is probably to give up. That's why we're here, as parents. We're your forever fans, you know? We're always cheering you on, here to give you the extra push you need."

"Well, she's pushing too much. I can't stand it, she's stressing me out so much always talking about my grades. I mean, we weren't even talking about studying earlier. I just wanted some money to buy a beanie! It's getting cold, Dad, and I need to keep my head warm if you guys want me to use my brain and study!"

Dad draws a deep breath and exhales slowly. "Kairi, maybe it'll help for you to know that...your mom's under a lot of stress lately."

I snort. "Really? You're talking to the stressed high school student."

"Not to say you aren't stressed - we both know high school's really hard. But lately, our family...we've been sort of tight on money."

"...what?"

"Yeah. There's no way of going around it, so...yeah. Your mom got laid off recently, that's why she's home more these days. I picked up another shift at work, but that's barely enough to cover our expenses right now. And we still need to save for your college fund…"

Dad's mouth keeps moving, but I stop registering his words. All I can focus on is this all-consuming feeling in my chest, immobilizing my body and thoughts. What am I supposed to think? How am I supposed to feel? We don't have _money_? On one hand, this seems like such a trivial, materialistic concern. This isn't something a 17-year-old like me should have to worry about. But on the other hand, when I think about the fact that Mom's nagging at me all the time because she got fired...

In the end, because of how ridiculous everything is, I choose to laugh at this shitty hand I've been dealt in life.

 _Fuck you, Fate._

* * *

 **A/N: I'm updating somewhat regularly, subplots are starting to wrap themselves up, and Kairi's finally realizing things. I have to say, this story's doing pretty good.**

 **Please leave a review and let me know what you think about all these various facets of Kairi's life! Hopefully they're as interesting to read as the fun I had writing them. My goal with this story has always been to show how a lot of things happen in our lives that come together to shape who we are - not just our romantic relationship, or family troubles, or school drama, but everything.**

 **A shout-out to the Guest reviewer who reminded me of the 2-year anniversary of this story! Yay to me for persisting, and hurray to you for sticking with me throughout this journey!**

 **ALSO, shameless plug for my new story _Legacy_! It's a more action-packed story starring Sora and Naminé as a field agent and an operator respectively, living in different worlds both fighting the onslaught of Heartless. If any of that sounds the least bit interesting, please give it a shot!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter TWENTY SIX**

Why I'm a bad person

-I fought with my cousin for months because he was dating my friend  
-I fought with said friend for months because she was dating my cousin  
-I snap at Naminé, aka the kindest girl ever, because I'm always so moody  
-My family's broke but all I can think about is how it affects _me, me, me_

* * *

 _My family's broke_.

I'm just your typical high school teenager. Going to school, hanging out with friends, avoiding my ex. Also struggling in school, trying to play sports, and fighting with my parents.

 _My family's broke._

I try to be a good student, a good friend, a good daughter - a good person, if you will. I still fuck up sometimes, like when I fought with my cousin for months cause he was dating my best friend. But hey, pages turned and lessons learned, right?

 _My family's broke_.

But despite all my effort and best intentions...it's just _not fair that bad things happen to good people_.

I mean, what does it even mean for my parents to say we're broke? Or 'tight on money,' in their words. All parents have to do is work, so how can my mom suddenly just not have a job? That's literally her only job: to have a job! I mean, that's like me saying I'm not gonna study anymore, even though I'm a high school student.

She only had one job - to hold down a job!

I don't know, this whole thing is just really fucking with me. Like this still seems like a joke. And it's not like a...an actual family crisis or anything. It seems kinda shallow to complain about _money_. It's just...such a dumb problem that happened!

"...hey Kairi."

I jump a little at the greeting upon reaching home. Peering towards the living room, I notice my dad lounging on the couch, watching the news on the TV. I look towards the clock briefly to confirm it's only 4 PM, and he should be at work still. Unless…

A bad feeling socks me in the stomach, and I suddenly find it hard to breathe. Dad didn't _also_ get fired too, did he?

He must've sensed my confusion, because he quickly raises the laptop in his lap. "We didn't have any patients at the end of the day, so my boss let me come home to finish the paperwork."

"...oh, okay. That's good," I respond awkwardly. Everything about my home situation and my parents is still incredibly awkward right now. Like I want to ask exactly how much money my dad makes, and if that's enough to support our family now, and do we have any kind of debt, and just how screwed are we -

"Your mom's at a job interview, by the way. Amanda's husband - Tidus' dad - said that his company's hiring an administrative clerk, so fingers crossed things are going well now!"

I nod slowly to the news. "Cool...that's good to hear. Totally. Definitely, for sure." Repeating myself isn't necessary, but it's the only thing I can think of saying to fill the silence. "...I'll be in my room."

"Actually Amanda invited us over for dinner. How's that sound with you?"

 _Cause we're so broke we can't even afford food now?_ is the question on the tip of my tongue, but I have more sense than that.

"Uh, sure. Just let me know when we're leaving." I then proceed to enter my room and shut the door behind me. Back pressed against the wall, I slowly sink down to the floor, legs tucked in towards my chest. I let my bag slip off my shoulders and sigh heavily.

Even though _we're broke_ , things still progress as usual in my daily life. I still have homework to do and exms to pass. Dad's still working all the time, just that now I notice he's out more than usual. I don't see Mom as often as I think, cause she's mostly running errands or going to job interviews. I guess it's all in the details: we don't splurge on big meals anymore, Dad's cancelled his health magazine subscription, Mom nags us to turn off unused lights and water, and we've yet to discuss Christmas plans despite it being two weeks away. Taking a wild guess, I'm assuming we aren't traveling anywhere this year.

Despite my previous misgivings about my parents, I'm infinitely glad to report that for once, my brain-mouth filter seems to be working and has stopped me from voicing those concerns. Sometimes when I think too much about the situation, I do get upset and it's easier to blame someone concrete, like my parents. But then I think some more about it, and I imagine they're as upset as I am, so my frustration ebbs a little. Just a little. I have to actively rein it in still.

It's just kinda hard to vent your frustration anywhere when you can only blame Fate or some other vague, abstract concept like that.

A ringing on my phone alerts me to a call from Naminé. I pull myself together and clear my throat quickly before picking up. "Hey, what's up?"

"Hi Kairi. Turns out I can't go Christmas gift shopping this weekend, but I can do Friday instead. Does that work for you?"

I sigh tiredly, having completely forgotten about my plans with Naminé. I'm not so keen on asking my parents for money for awhile - I'd say forever if I weren't realistic enough to know I still need to rely on them a bit longer. "Hey, Naminé...I don't think I can make this Friday."

"Oh, okay. Um, what about...Saturday morning? I just have to leave before lunchtime - "

"Naminé, actually, I don't think I can go shopping at all."

"Oh. Uh, okay. Is everything alright, Kairi?"

I haven't exactly discussed the entire situation with Naminé yet. It's not that I don't trust her or anything - I just haven't figured out how to bring it up. I mean, it sounds dumb even when I think of how to say it. 'Hey Naminé, I'm broke. My mom lost her job and my family's dirt poor now. Okay maybe not dirt poor, but I just don't have money to go shopping with you.'

It just sounds...so pathetic!

"Kairi? Kairi, are you okay?" Naminé's concerned voice continues speaking through the phone. I sigh tiredly, and maybe it's the weight of everything wearing me down that I finally decide, _fuck it_ , I'm just gonna say it.

"Naminé, this is gonna sound dumb but...I can't go shopping cause I - I don't have money."

"Oh, you ran out on your allowance? Don't worry, I can lend you some. I always have more than enough every month, and I don't think we'll spend _that_ much - "

"That's not it!" I shriek. For some reason, suddenly every fiber in my body is blazing _mad_ at how dismissive Naminé sounds. "You know, not all of us have rich dads and basically limitless allowance to spend on things we want."

"Kairi, I - that's not what I meant."

Despite the usual softness present in Naminé's voice, there's an undeniable rigidity and certainty in her words. I'm quite familiar with her tone. I figure it's the only way she's survived being friends with someone as moody as I am.

"I know, Naminé, I - this is a bad time, I'll explain to you some other time, okay? I'm...I'm sorry."

"...alright, Kairi. Whatever you say. And I'm sorry if you misunderstood me, but I just wanted you to know that if you need anything, I'm here."

"I know, Naminé. Thanks, you're the best." I muster a grin relishing in Naminé's consideration. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay, sure. See you tomorrow, Kairi."

I hang up and toss my phone on my bed, groaning aloud at yet another social faux pas I've committed. See, if an actual crisis had happened in the family -

Hurriedly I look around and find some wood to knock on. You can never be too sure, especially during times of crises like this.

...anyways. It just...is dumb, I have no excuse for my behavior cause it's not something really bad, it's just _money_ , but...I still have the right to be upset, right? Cause _we have no money_!

I still can't wrap my mind around how stupid this whole thing is.

"Kairi? We'll leave in 10 minutes!" Dad calls out.

"...okay!" I chorus back. Well, there isn't much I can do in 10 minutes. I quickly check all my social media, and when I realize there's nothing new compared to when I checked 5 minutes ago, I give up and head to the living room.

I end up driving me and my dad over in my car, cause Mom took the other one to get to her job interview. Auntie Sonnen greets us from the front porch, and she gives me a quick hug. I scurry inside to find Tidus, but not before I notice her pass Dad what looks like a pretty thick envelope.

Not wanting to dwell on it, I shift my attention to what Tidus is doing in the living room.

"Seriously? This game is so old," I scoff, sitting next to him on the couch. I watch as he uses a gaming console from 5 years ago, playing a game we both played a lot when we were kids. I had grown out of video games by middle school, partially because the other girls weren't interested, partially because I always lost to Tidus. But seeing the familiar characters jump across the screen makes me smile nostalgically. I remember spending a lot of summers crashing at Tidus' place, gaming and trying to not get any melted popsicle juice on the couch.

"Oh, hey. Mom found this in the closet the other day, and I thought it'd be fun to hook it up. Don't you remember this level?"

I stare at the setting on the screen, reaching back into my memory bank from years ago. "Not really...is this where you have to play a bunch of minigames to pass the level?"

"That's another game entirely. This game's the one where you have to fight monsters and save the world."

"That's like the summary for half the video games out there."

"Aww c'mon, Kairi, you don't remember this one? You said the girl's really hot, and I thought you were implying something - "

" _Oh my god_ , Tidus, why would you bring that up? I totally forgot about it already!"

"I wasn't sure if you were just saying that, or if you were coming out to me or something..."

" - you _asshole_ , I only said that cause you said that earlier! I was just agreeing with you!"

"Okay, Kairi, whatever you say. You know if you wanna talk about anything, I'm here."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." I mull over his words some more and briefly wonder if he just has good timing or if he planned to say that. But that would require way too much thought for a dumbass like Tidus, so I guess it's just a coincidence that he says exactly what I need to hear now to be comforted. "Thanks, idiot."

"Wow, can't you at least _not_ insult the person when you're saying thanks?"

"Just saying the truth. You idiot."

" _Mom!_ Kairi keeps calling me an idiot!"

"Oh my gosh, Tidus, shut up - Auntie Sonnen, Tidus is being annoying again!"

From the next room over, where the adults are gathered, Auntie Sonnen laughs. "Are you guys hungry? Dinner will be ready in 10 minutes!"

"Kairi, why don't you go give your aunt a hand in the kitchen?" Uncle Sonnen suggests.

Tidus shoots me a cocky smirk while I glare at him for a good few seconds before jumping off the couch. I'm not sure what Auntie Sonnen made, but the kitchen smells absolutely wonderful. "What do you need help with?" I ask.

"Oh, Kairi, it's okay. I can set the table myself."

"There are literally like a billion plates of food in here to serve," I point out, rolling my sleeves up to my elbows. "Mom! Dad! We need help!"

"Kairi!" Auntie Sonnen exclaims. "We really don't have to bother your parents, especially your dad…"

"What's going on?" Dad asks as he enters the kitchen with Uncle Sonnen in tow. I gesture at the number of serving dishes resting on the counter.

"Time to set the table! Where's Mom?"

"Oh, I thought it was something serious!" Uncle Sonnen laughs, clutching my dad's shoulder. "C'mon, Gabriel, let's get back to our beer and let them finish up here - "

"We literally did nothing to help Auntie Sonnen, so the least we can do is bring out the food," I point out.

"Ah, whatever, it's her job to prepare dinner," Uncle Sonnen says.

I narrow my eyes. "Why does she have to do everything? She already cooked all the food."

"Kairi, I'm okay," Auntie Sonnen insists.

"That's what she does!" Uncle Sonnen responds with a chuckle. "She's a housewife!"

"Alright, since we're here, we might as well all set the table and help Amanda out," Dad interrupts with a placating tone. Uncle Sonnen snorts loudly, making his displeasure known as he grabs the lightest thing in the room - the salad bowl. "By the way," Dad continues, "your mom's taken it upon herself to fix the leaky faucet in their bathroom."

I snort at the thought, because I can totally see it: Mom, pushing herself to be useful in any way she can, even doing the plumbing herself.

"That woman's too headstrong for anyone's good," Uncle Sonnen murmurs aloud. "What if she ends up breaking the faucet?"

It's not a secret that Mom and Uncle Sonnen...aren't the best of friends. I'm not entirely sure why they don't get along. They don't interact much in the first place, cause it's my dad and Auntie Sonnen who are related. But gatherings like today do happen, and I'm almost a little worried how dinner's going to go.

To no one's surprise, Auntie Sonnen serves a delectable meal, probably the best homemade dishes I've eaten all year. The good food's probably what tides over the beginning half of dinner. It probably doesn't help that the adults are drinking a little, and I know Mom and Uncle Sonnen both tend to speak their minds.

"That's your third glass, isn't it?" Uncle Sonnen asks as Mom helps herself to the wine bottle.

She chuckles as she takes a sip gingerly. "Fourth, actually. Thanks for asking."

"You really shouldn't drink so much," Uncle Sonnen chastises. "Who's going to take care of your kid?"

"Kairi?" Mom snorts, glancing at me briefly. I do the awkward smile thing at her and Uncle Sonnen to acknowledge them but then quickly look down at my plate. Yum, mashed potatoes. "She's 17, she can take care of herself. Plus, I have my husband." She looks towards him fondly, in the way that makes their kids, aka me, barf a little in my mouth.

"That sounds kind of irreponsible to me. I mean, as a mother, shouldn't your primary duty be to your kids?"

"Kairi is my number one priority," Mom returns with a stern gaze.

"But you're always away on trips, and your daughter's had to stay with us so often. Maybe it's a good thing you're out of work now, so you can stay at home and take care of her - "

"You are the first person to congratulate me for getting fired."

"Now, now, you know I didn't mean it like that," Uncle Sonnen says with a boisterous laugh. "But you could think of it as divine intervention. Maybe it's a sign that you should pay more attention to your own daughter and supporting your husband instead of focusing on your own work all the time - "

"You have _no right_ to tell me how to be a good mother and wife."

"...just saying, cause I know Gabriel works extra now. And I hear he has to come home and also prepare dinner - ?"

" _Shut the hell up_ , you don't know what you're even talking about - "

" - get all defensive cause you've realized what you're doing is _wrong…_ "

Oh god. They're going at it again. I sigh to myself and watch as my dad and Auntie Sonnen futilely try to calm them down. Uncle Sonnen is the proud, unapologetic type though, and Mom...to be honest, Mom's kinda the same. They're horrible together.

"I'm done eating," Tidus mumbles to no one, grabbing his plate and heading towards the kitchen. I mimic his actions and drop my dirty dishes in the sink along with his. He glances at me with a raised brow.

"What?" I prompt.

"Why are parents so dumb?"

I snort. "Don't ask me. Mom always acts like she has to prove herself or something. I don't know, she tries too hard."

"Yeah, my dad always needs to be right and hates apologizing. It's really annoying."

I shrug, heading to the living room with Tidus, where the adults' conversation / argument is somewhat muffled by the distance. "Family, eh?"

Tidus glances at me and laughs. "Family. I guess we're stuck with 'em either way. I mean, my dad's a good person. He's always encouraging me to work harder and never settle for less than the best. Can be pressuring, but sometimes you need that extra kick in the ass."

"My mom's a good person too," I hastily rush to her defense. It does take me a moment to think of her strong suits though. "She pushes me too, I guess cause she believes in me and wants me to succeed. And it sucks that she's busy - she was busy with work all the time, but...she's gotta make money, I guess."

"Yeah. You know, I think your mom's pretty cool," Tidus confesses. "She does a lot, you know? Balancing work and her family. I don't know how she has the time. My mom can barely handle one."

"Well, my mom isn't around for everything, for sure. I know Auntie Sonnen goes to _all_ of your home games, and even some of the away ones. Mom - she never came to my cross country meets...but I guess that's cause I stopped inviting them. Cause I thought they didn't care! ...but apparently she thought I didn't invite her cause I was embarrassed of her or something…"

As I voice my thoughts aloud, I'm just starting to see things from Mom's perspective. But I mean, it's a totally dumb perspective. Why would I be embarrassed of her? All I've ever wanted...is for her to see me succeed and make her proud.

"Shit, Kairi...you okay?" Tidus asks gently.

I struggle to summon a smile and sniffle loudly, but the tears fall anyways. I'm not entirely sure why I'm... _crying_ , now of all times. With my parents just in the room over. In front of Tidus, of all people! This is so embarrassing…

Tidus guides me to his room for some privacy. I'm grateful, because I don't want Mom finding me and getting embarrassed, especially in front of Uncle Sonnen. Tidus tosses me a box of tissues but otherwise doesn't have much to say. I muffle a sob, and snivel, and do my best to stay quiet so no one hears. For the most part, I succeed, except for the fact that Tidus is right here.

Finally, the silence gets to me and I weakly punch him in the arm, the other hand covering my face. "This is all so _dumb_."

Dumb boss who fired mom. Dumb Uncle Sonnen for fighting with my mom. Dumb Mom for fighting back. Dumber Mom for thinking she's not invited to my meets. Dumb...dumb Dad for marrying Mom.

And the dumbest?

"Yeah, this is all really dumb," Tidus offers. And I guess he's trying to help.

But it doesn't, cause that just means he agrees that the dumbest of all is:

Me.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the late update! I really am trying hard to put out a new chapter every 2 weeks. SO, we get some more family dynamics, a theme I always enjoy exploring. Uncle Sonnen is super hard to write, and I know he's just a random fill-in OC, but I'd love to know what you guys thought of him in relation to Kairi and her family! Also, your thoughts on Kairi's development as we go through this family-centric arc.**

 **I'm thinking of doing some behind-the-scenes writing to explain my thought process and explore my headcanon some more - would anyone be interested in that? I did a little of it for my other stuff and put it on my "writing blog" on tumblr...and proceeded to not update for years whoops.**

 **ANYWAYS, sorry to bombard you guys with so many questions! My main point is: hope you've enjoyed this chapter, and to make up for his lack of presence this chapter, look forward to Sora showing up in the next installment!**


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